Adaptation of Alpha-Papillomavirus over Millennia

Abstract

Papillomaviruses (PVs) are a group of small DNA viruses that, with around 350 million years of evolution, acquired the capacity of infecting a broad range of vertebrates, including humans. To date, more than 300 PV types have been isolated. Viruses that have a long common evolutionary history with their host typically cause unapparent infections. However, in some Alpha-PV infections, lesions become apparent and may cause benign proliferative disorders or even malignant proliferative lesions of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, penis, and oropharynx. The incongruence observed between the topology of the phylogenetic tree of Alpha-PVs and that of their hosts suggests that virus-host codivergence is not the only evolutionary force that has driven the progression of PVs. The integration of the precursors of E5, E6, and E7 on the genome of the ancestral Alpha-PV was important and made the colonization of new niches and the emergence of carcinogenic types possible.

Molecular aspects of cervical cancer: a pathogenesis update

“…More than 200 HPV types have so far been identified. Around 15 types are classified as high-risk types, including HPV 16, 18,31,33,45,52, and 58, associated with cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal cancers, and HPV16 is found in approximately 60% of the CC cases (5). Low-risk HPV types, mainly types 6 and 11, commonly cause benign anogenital warts.…”

HPV: A Virus-Dinosaur Living among Us?

“…We sincerely hope that this special issue of Acta Cytologica will aid in maintaining the interest in this minuscule dinosaur, that has already caused turmoil for the research profile of so many scientists and has had a profound impact on diagnostic and clinical practice in many different fields of medicine. As Guest Editor, I conclude by expressing sincere thanks to everyone who directly and indirectly contributed to the completion of this special issue of Acta Cytologica [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”