Abstract
JC polyomavirus (JCPyV, JCV) causes progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in immunocompromised hosts. JCPyV replicates in oligodendrocytes within the brain tissue of patients with PML. The JCPyV genome encodes a microRNA (miRNA) in the region encoding the large T antigen. JCPyV-encoded miRNA (miR-J1) has been detected in the tissue and cerebrospinal fluid samples of patients with PML; however, there are no reports describing the localization of polyomavirus-encoded miRNA in histological samples of patients with virus-associated diseases. In the present study, we detected high miR-J1 expression in the nuclei of JCPyV-infected cells in PML tissue samples via in situ hybridization. Additionally, in situ hybridization also revealed the expression of BK polyomavirus (BKPyV, BKV)-encoded miRNA in lesions of BKPyV-associated nephropathy. In situ hybridization for miR-J1-5p and -3p showed positive signals in 24/25 (96%) of PML tissues that were positive for JCPyV by immunohistochemistry. Higher copy numbers of miR-J1 were detected in PML tissues than in non-PML tissues by real-time reverse transcription PCR. Next generation sequencing showed that miR-J1-5p, a mature miRNA of primary miRNA, was predominant in the lesions compared with miR-J1-3p, another mature miRNA. Deletion or mutation of miR-J1 in recombinant JCPyV promoted the production of JCPyV-encoded proteins in cells transfected with JCPyV DNA, suggesting that polyomavirus-encoded miRNA may have a repressive role in viral replication in PML tissues. In situ hybridization for viral miRNA may be a useful diagnostic tool for PML.