Human papillomavirus type 16 does not require cathepsin L or B for infection.

Cathepsin L (CatL) and cathepsin B (CatB) are lysosomal proteases that many viruses utilize for capsid disassembly. We tested whether CatL and CatB are required for infection by human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16). CatL- and CatB-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts had higher levels of infection when compared with wild-type cells. Similar results were obtained in HaCaT keratinocytes treated with CatL- or CatB-specific small interfering RNA. Thus, CatL and CatB are not required for HPV16 infection but instead appear to restrict infection.