Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) is the most prevalent carcinogenic HPV type. Many HPV16 sequence variants have been described, some of which cause protein-coding mutations. However, most experiments have characterized the viral proteins encoded by the HPV16 prototype clone, and some researchers have proposed that variants identified in high-grade lesions and cancers may have higher oncogenic potential than the prototype. To determine whether oncoproteins encoded by such variants have greate