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Infection by certain human papillomavirus types is regarded as the major risk factor in the development of cervical cancer, one of the most common cancers of women worldwide. Analysis of the immunogenic and structural features of papillomavirus virions has been hampered by the inability to efficiently propagate the viruses in cultured cells. For instance, it has not been established whether the major capsid protein L1 alone is sufficient for virus particle assembly. In addition, it is not known whether L1, L2 (the minor capsid protein), or both present the immunodominant epitopes required for induction of high-titer neutralizing antibodies. We have expressed the L1 major capsid proteins of bovine papillomavirus type 1 and human papillomavirus type 16 in insect cells via a baculovirus vector and analyzed their conformation and immunogenicity. The L1 proteins were expressed at high levels and assembled into …