No evidence of viral genomes in whole-transcriptome sequencing of three melanoma metastases

作者：Feldhahn Magdalena; Menzel Moritz; Weide Benjamin; Bauer Peter; Meckbach Diana; Garbe Claus; Kohlbacher Oliver; Bauer Juergen^*

来源：Experimental Dermatology, 2011, 20(9): 766-768.

DOI：10.1111/j.1600-0625.2011.01312.x

• digital transcriptome subtraction
• melanoma
• RNA
• sequencing
• virus

Several viruses are known to cause cancer, such as human herpes virus 8 in Kaposi sarcoma and human papilloma viruses in cervical cancer. Recently, Merkel cell polyoma virus (MCPyV) has been described in 80% of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC). Similarly to MCC and Kaposi sarcoma, melanoma incidence is increased in immunosuppressed patients. We asked whether infection by known or yet unknown viruses may play a role in melanoma development as well. To detect viral sequences expressed in melanoma cells, we analysed three melanoma metastases by whole-transcriptome sequencing and digital transcriptome subtraction. None of the samples investigated harboured viral sequences. In contrast, artificial viral sequences and MCPyV transcripts used as a positive control for the bioinformatics analysis were detected. This renders it less likely that viruses are frequently involved in melanoma induction. A larger number of melanoma transcriptome sequencings are required to rule out viruses as a relevant pathogen.

• 出版日期2011-9
• 单位上海生物信息技术研究中心