Papillomavirus genomes: sequences and consequences

The complete nucleotide sequences of four papillomavirus genomes recently determined (human papillomavirus types 1a and 6b, bovine papillomavirus type 1, and the Shope cottontail rabbit papillomavirus) shed light on the molecular genetics of these epitheliotropic viruses. The organization of the four genomes is very similar, and their comparative analysis suggests new hypotheses about the nature of the viral proteins, their involvement in virus structure, and their interaction with the host cell, the terminally differentiating keratinocyte. It also allows us to consider, at the molecular level, the problem of papillomaviruses' host range and evolutionary relationship.