Fig 3. HPV infectivity is functionally recovered by WAVE1 or WAVE2 expression in HeLa cells.

(A and C) WT and W1KO or W2KO cells were transduced with a mammalian gene expression lentiviral control vector or a vector containing either GFP-WAVE1 or GFP-WAVE2, respectively (Vector Builder). Transduced cells received an antibiotic resistance gene and underwent selection. (B and D) WT, KO, and cells with WAVE protein expression restored were treated with HPV16 PsVs (TCID₃₀) containing an RFP reporter plasmid. The percentage of infected cells (RFP reporter gene transduction) was measured at 48 hours post infection via flow cytometry. Background from mock infected cells was subtracted. Each bar represents three biological repeats comprised of technical triplicates and show the mean %RFP+ cells ± standard deviation (n=3, normalized to WT). 1-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test was used to statistically determine significance (ns=not significant, **p<0.001, ***p<0.0001, ****p<0.0001).