While surface-expressed vimentin plays a role in the attachment and uptake machinery of several viruses as mentioned above (41, –, 46, 48, 60), it appears to interfere with crucial steps in the HPV16 pseudovirus infection process at the level of binding and internalization into epithelial cells, possibly by either masking portions of the virus that interact with its receptor or by causing steric hindrance, thereby destabilizing or preventing receptor-virus interaction necessary for successful infection. The gene discussed is VIM; the disease is infection.