Analysis of Human Papillomavirus Type 31 in Morocco: A Study of 242 Viral Genomes

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that commonly infects humans and can cause cancer due to its oncogenic properties. The virus contains oncoproteins E6 and E7, which suppress tumor suppressors p53 and pRB. High-risk HPV types, including HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59, are responsible for about 5% of malignancies globally. Although HPV31 is closely linked to HPV16, it only accounts for 4% of cervical cancer cases worldwide. While other high-risk HPV types have been associated with carcinogenesis due to genetic and epigenetic changes, nothing is known about HPV31. To investigate the genetic diversity and source of circulating HPV31 genome strains in Morocco, we extracted all sequences from the Genebank platform and compared them to those from North Africa. The sequences were then aligned using Clustal Omega, and phylogenetic trees were constructed with Unipro UGENE v. 46.0. The results of the study revealed that all four lineages A, B, C, and D were present in the samples, with lineage C being the most prevalent, occurring in 41.32% of all samples. Lineages A, B, and D were found in 26.85%, 31.4%, and 0.41% of the samples, respectively. The oldest strain, MT7509321:1–4076, was identified as the ancestor of the other circulating HPV31 strains in North Africa.

Keywords Human papillomavirus, HPV31, variants, Phylogenomic Analysis, Morocco