HPV VLPs & Pseudoviruses

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are small non-enveloped, circular double-stranded DNA viruses that infect skin or mucosal cells. The native genome of HPV is roughly 8 kb in size which replicates in the nucleus of infected cells and encodes 8 viral proteins which include six early proteins (E1, E2, E4, E5, E6, and E7) responsible for virus replication and two late proteins (major capsid protein L1 and minor capsid protein L2) working as viral structural proteins.

More than 200 types of HPV have been recognized according to the difference of their genomic DNA. Based on their association with cervical cancer, HPVs can also be divided into two groups: high-risk HPV types and low-risk HPV types. There are over 10 high-risk HPV types which include types 16, 18, 31, 33, 34, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, and 70. The HPV L1 and L2 capsid proteins can self-assemble into virions and package either its 8 kilobase genome or up to 8 kb non-viral DNA.

HPV virus-like particles (VLPs) and pseudoviruses (PsVs) do not contain viral oncogenes, such as HPV E6 / E7, and are replication deficient which make them safer than those authentic viruses. HPV VLPs and PsVs have been widely used in studying HPV because of their safety and similar properties compared with the corresponding native viruses. The HPV VLP is composed of the L1 protein alone, or both L1 and L2 proteins. The HPV pseudoviruses (PsVs) consists of L1 and L2 proteins as well as a reporter pseudogenome.

HPV VLPs and PsVs are useful tools for measuring the titers of functional HPV neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), working as gene delivery vehicles to transfer gene of interests (GOIs) into a variety of cell types, screening inhibitors that can block HPVs entry into cells, developing HPV vaccines, studying the infectious mechanisms of different types of HPV, and so on.

RGBiotech offers plasmid vectors that can be used for production of various types of HPV virus-like particles (VLPs) and HPV pseudoviruses (PsVs). Please contact us at admin@rgbioech.com for more information and quotation.

References

[1] Chakravorty A, Sugden B. Long-distance communication: Looping of human papillomavirus genomes regulates expression of viral oncogenes. PLoS Biol. 2018 Nov 27;16(11):e3000062.

Contact Us