Naturally Occurring Major and Minor Capsid Protein Variants of Human Papillomavirus 45 (HPV45): Differential Recognition by Cross-Neutralizing Antibodies Generated by HPV Vaccines

Abstract

We investigated naturally occurring variation within the major (L1) and minor (L2) capsid proteins of human papillomavirus genotype 45 (HPV45). Pseudoviruses (PsVs) representing HPV45 sublineages A1, A2, A3, B1, and B2 exhibited comparable particle-to-infectivity ratios and morphologies but demonstrated both increased (A2, A3, and B1) and decreased (B2) sensitivities to cross-neutralization by HPV vaccine antibodies compared to that of the A1 sublineage. Mutant PsVs identified HI loop residue 357 as being critical for conferring this differential sensitivity.