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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Apr 15.
Published in final edited form as: Biochem J. 2012 Apr 15;443(2):339–353. doi: 10.1042/BJ20112017

Fig. 3. HPV infection of oral mucosa.

Fig. 3

HPV (red) infects proliferating cells in the basal layer that are exposed by wounding. The virus replicates in synchrony with cellular DNA replication. The highest level of viral replication occurs in the granular layer, as expression of HPV E6 and E7 maintain proliferation of these normally terminally differentiated cells. Mature virions are released through the cornified layer.