CONCISE COMMUNICATION Identification and Characterization of 3 Novel Genital Human Papillomaviruses by Overlapping Polymerase Chain Reaction: candHPV89, candHPV90, and candHPV91

Three novel human papillomaviruses (HPVs), candHPV89, candHPV90, and candHPV91, that were previously identified from short polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fragments AE6/CP6108, JC9710, and JC9813, respectively, were cloned and characterized from cervicovaginal cells by use of an overlapping PCR method. The complete nucleotide sequences of candHPV89 (8078 bp), candHPV90 (8033 bp), and candHPV91 (7966 bp) were determined by sequence walking. candHPV89 and candHPV91 were closely related to HPV83 and HPV7 and were placed in the HPV genome homology groups A3 and A8, respectively, by phylogenetic analyses. The genome of candHPV90 was most closely related to HPV71, although these HPV genomes do not seem to form a single lineage, because of the disproportionate divergence of the HPV71 L1 region. On the basis of phylogenetic analyses and available clinical data, these 3 novel HPV genomes appear to have a low oncogenic risk and expand the heterogeneity of HPVs detected in the lower genital tract. Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a heterogeneous group of viruses with an 8000-bp, closed-circular, double-stranded DNA genome. They are causally involved in the etiology o