Abstract

VANEGAS, VÍCTOR ANDRÉS; RUBIO, ARLETH IVONNE; BEDOYA, ASTRID MILENA  and  SANCHEZ, GLORIA INÉS. Antigenic and Molecular Structure of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 16 Vaccine. Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2008, vol.13, n.3, pp.37-48. ISSN 0120-548X.

Human Papillomavirus L1 protein makes up 80% of the viral capsid and self assembles in Virus-like Particles (VLP); these particles are immunogenic, generate type-specific antibodies and can induce very limited cross-reactivity among highly homologous HPV types. In addition to its structural function, it confers the stability to the capsid by establishing disulfide bonds and other intra and intercapsomeric interactions, and also contains the epitopes that induce the protective immune response of prophylactic vaccines. Immunological studies of this protein have concluded that the main epitopes of the HPV viral capsid are found in the loops B-C, D-E, F-G, H-I and the C-terminal arm. These loops are exposed on the surface of the viral capsid and have a low degree of conservation among the different genotypes. Specifically, amino acid 50 located on loop B-C and aminoacids 266, 271 and 288 located on loop F-G are important for the recognition on neutralizing antibodies. The different genotypes and variants exhibit mutations on these residues.

Keywords : Human papillomavirus 16; capsid; Papillomavirus Vaccines; epitopes; antibodies.

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