Adsorption of Human Papillomavirus 16 to live human sperm
Author(s)
Ribbeck, Katharina; Pérez-Andino, Julio; Buck, Christopher B.
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Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a diverse group of viruses that infect the skin and mucosal tissues of humans. A high-risk subgroup of HPVs is associated with virtually all cases of cervical cancer [1]–[3]. High-risk HPVs are transmitted sexually; however, the exact mechanisms by which sexual contact promotes virus infection remain uncertain. To study this question we asked whether capsids of HPV type 16 (a high-risk HPV) specifically interact with sperm cells. We tested if purified HPV16 virions directly adsorb to live human sperm cells in native semen and in conditions that resemble the female genital tract. We found that HPV16 capsids bind efficiently to two distinct sites at the equatorial region of the sperm head surface. Moreover, we observed that the interaction of virus with sperm can be reduced by two HPV infection inhibitors, heparin and carrageenan. Our findings suggest that 1) sperm cells may serve as motile carriers that promote virus dispersal and mucosal penetration, and 2) blocking interactions between HPV16 and sperm cells may be an important strategy for the development of antiviral therapies.
Date issued
2009-06Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological EngineeringJournal
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Citation
Pe´rez-Andino, Julio, Christopher B. Buck, Katharina Ribbeck. "Adsorption of Human Papillomavirus 16 to Live Human Sperm". (2009) PLoS ONE 4(6): e5847.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
1932-6203