The Papillomavirus Life Cycle

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common forms of viruses. Many people carry it relatively harmlessly, but it has been suggested that the virus plays a role in the development of cervical cancer.

Makeup

• Papillomavirus is composed of eight genes: E1, E2, E4, E5, E6, E7, L1 and L2. These genes are expressed at different times in its life cycle.

Infection

• The papillomavirus infects epithelial cells, and begins replication there using the cell in its growth phase.

Changes to the Cell

• Papillomavirus infects the cell nucleus, and embeds its genetic information in the cell so that when it divides, copies of the virus are made by the cell as well as a new epithelial cell.

Damage

• E6 and E7 bind with epithelial cell genes, causing uneven division and cell damage. This is thought to be the reason why papillomavirus causes cervical cancer.

Dependency

• The reproduction of papillomavirus depends on cell differentiation and this process has been hard to recreate in a laboratory setting, impeding the advancement of research into the virus.