Replication of plasmid-derived human papillomavirus type 11 DNA in cultured keratinocytes

Plasmid-derived human papillomavirus type 11 (HPV11) DNA has been shown to replicate episomally and semiconservatively following transfection of primary human foreskin keratinocytes. HPV11 DNA was excised from the bacterial plasmid, religated to form circular molecules, and cotransfected along with pSV2Neo. Transfectants were selected and shown to contain replicated episomal HPV DNA. Once selected, HPV1I DNA persists in cells through at least two additional passages. The natural host of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is the keratinocyte of stratified squamous epithelia (11). In benign warts and condylomas induced by these viruses, HPV DNA replicates as a multicopy episome in a highly regulated fashion. In the basal layer of the lesion, papillomavirus DNA undergoes a stable but low-copy maintenance replication, while in the suprabasal differentiating cells, virus DNA accumulates in vegetative replication. The most commonly used model for the study of papillo-mavirus DNA replication has been bovine papillomaviru