title: Self-assembly of human papillomavirus type 16 capsids by expression of the L1 protein in insect cells.
abstract: The L1 major protein of human papillomavirus type 16 was expressed in Sf-21 insect cells with a recombinant baculovirus vector. Virus-like particles similar in appearance to empty virions were identified by electron microscopy at densities of 1.29-1.30. Purified particles reacted with monoclonal anti-HPV-16-L1 antibody in Western blot and immuno dot blot suggesting that conformational epitopes are present in the recombinant particles. Immunodot blot assays using human sera correlated with the detection of HPV-16 DNA by the polymerase chain reaction. The results suggest that HPV-16-L1 virions produced by the baculovirus system might be useful for developing serologic tests to measure antibodies to conformational epitopes and may offer potential for vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Virologie de Tours, Faculté de Pharmacie, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Le Cann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coursaget
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iochmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Touze
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002213:Capsid / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009036:Moths; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000737:chemistry*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011994:Recombinant Proteins