Bandicoot papillomatosis carcinomatosis virus

Bandicoot papillomatosis carcinomatosis virus is a circular double-stranded DNA virus isolated from bandicoots (Perameles bougainville). The genome has features similar to viruses in the families Papillomaviridae and the Polyomaviridae. Two species have been described to date.

Genome
The genome is ~7.5 kilobases in length with a G+C content of ~35%. Two structural genes are present: L1 and L2. The non structural genes are found on the opposite strand. The L1 gene encodes a protein with 506 residues and the L2 encodes a protein with 470 residues. The two non structural genes T (742 amino acid residues) and t (224 amino acid residues). The structural proteins resemble those of the papillomaviruses while the T and t antigens resemble those of the polyomaviruses.

Evolution
These viruses evolved via a recombination event between a papillomavirus and a polyomavirus between and.

Clinical
These viruses were isolated from and are thought to cause a progressively debilitating cutaneous and mucocutaneous papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome. The lesions that occur in this disease are irregular thickenings and masses over the skin of the digits, body, pouch, and mucocutaneous junctions of the lips and conjunctiva. Cases have been described in both captive and wild individuals.