Papillomaviridae

Pap·il·lo·ma·vi·ri·dae (pap″ĭ-lo″mə-virґĭ-de) a family of viruses formerly considered part of the family Papovaviridae, having a nonenveloped icosahedral virion 55 nm in diameter with 72 capsomers in a skew arrangement. The genome consists of a single molecule of double-stranded DNA that has 8,000 base pairs. Replication and assembly take place in the nucleus, and virions are released by cell destruction. Many species cause tumors or other types of cancer. Genera have been named with the word papillomavirus preceded by the name of a Greek letter; those of medical or veterinary interest include Alphapapillomavirus, Betapapillomavirus, Gammapapillomavirus, and Mupapillomavirus.