Human papillomavirus DNA: physical map.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA form I (supercoiled) was prepared from plantar warts. HPV DNA was cleaved with restriction enzymes obtained from the following sources: escherichia coli (EcoRI), Hemophilus influenzae strain Rd (both unfractionated Hind and aeparated HindII and HindIII enzymes) and Hemophilus parainfluenzae (HpaI). The cleavage products were analyzed by polyacrylamide gradient slab gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy. HPV DNA was cleaved into two fragments by EcoRI (87% and 13% of the genome) and into six fragments, ranging in size from 33.5 to 1.2% of the genome, by Hind endonucleases. The six Hind fragments result from the cleavage of three sequences recognized by HindII, two of which are also cleaved by HpaI, and of three sequence recognized by HindIII. The order of these fragments was determined by comparing their size with that of the fragments obtained with HindII, HindIII, HpaI, and the mixture of HindIII + Hpal. The two EcoRI cleavage sites were located on two adjacent Hind fragments and one of these sites has been taken for the zero point to construct a physical map. The treatment of superhelical HPV DNA with bacteriophage T4 gene 32 protein yields circular structures with a denaturation loop. The cleavage of these complexes with EcoRI and HindIII has shown two easily denatured regions which were located on the cleavage map.