RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Hashida, Yumiko A1 Imajoh, Masayuki A1 Kamioka, Mikio A1 Taniguchi, Ayuko A1 Kuroda, Naoto A1 Hayashi, Kazuhiko A1 Nakajima, Hideki A1 Sano, Shigetoshi A1 Daibata, MasanoriYR 2014 T1 Phylogenetic analysis of Merkel cell polyomavirus based on full-length LT and VP1 gene sequences derived from neoplastic tumours in Japanese patients JF Journal of General Virology, VO 95 IS 1 SP 135 OP 141 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.058149-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Most Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) gene sequences have been reported from Western countries and few data are available for the virus sequences from other geographical areas, especially Asia. Thus, we performed phylogenetic analyses based on the nucleotide sequences of the full-length large T-antigen (LT) and viral protein 1 (VP1) genes derived from a variety of cancers in Japanese patients and compared them with sequences from Caucasians. The LT and VP1 gene-based phylogenetic trees identified two main genetic clades. One clade comprised strains isolated from Caucasians, whereas all of the Japanese tumour-derived MCPyV strains belonged to another clade. These findings confirm that most of the MCPyV strains present in Japan form a clade, distinct from Caucasian strains., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.058149-0