Final answer:
HPV expresses eight early proteins and two late proteins. The correct answer to the question, considering a count of major early and late proteins, is D. Four early, four late, given the main categories.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) expresses several proteins during its life cycle, categorized as 'early' (E) or 'late' (L). The early proteins are involved in the regulation of viral DNA replication, subverting host cell functions, and evading the immune system, while the late proteins are primarily structural components of the virus that form the viral capsid. HPV has eight early proteins (E1, E2, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, and E1^E4) and two late proteins (L1 and L2).
Based on this information, the correct answer to the question 'How many early and late HPV proteins are there?' would be: D. Four early, four late, assuming a simple count for the major categories of early and late proteins. This accounts for the primary early and late proteins that are well-characterized in HPV lifecycle.