Structure and genetic expression of papillomaviruses

Abstract

This article reviews the physical structures, genetic organization, expression, and regulation of papillomaviruses. In view of the extensive characterization of cellular transformation and viral functions that have been achieved in experimentally infected animals and in transformed cell cultures, the bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) and Shope cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) are compared and contrasted with the human papillomaviruses.