title: Mechanism of human papillomavirus binding to human spermatozoa and fertilizing ability of infected spermatozoa.
abstract: Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are agents of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in females and males. Precise data about the presence, mechanism of infection and clinical significance of HPV in the male reproductive tract and especially in sperm are not available. Here we show that HPV can infect human sperm, it localizes at the equatorial region of sperm head through interaction between the HPV capsid protein L1 and syndecan-1. Sperm transfected with HPV E6/E7 genes and sperm exposed to HPV L1 capsid protein are capable to penetrate the oocyte and transfer the virus into oocytes, in which viral genes are then activated and transcribed. These data show that sperm might function as vectors for HPV transfer into the oocytes, and open new perspectives on the role of HPV infection in males and are particularly intriguing in relation to assisted reproduction techniques.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Centre for Male Gamete Cryopreservation, Department of Histology, Microbiology and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. carola@embl.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foresta
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patassini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertoldo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menegazzo
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Francavilla
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barzon
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferlin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000378:metabolism*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; C068651:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D053668:Syndecan-1; C063317:L1 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16