Abstract:
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs), the main etiological factor of cervical cancer, can
be divided into 3 groups based on malignant progression of the infected lesions, i.e. the highrisk
group, such as HPV16, the intermediate-risk group, such as HPV59 and the low-risk
group, such as HPV6. The two early HPV proteins, E6 and E7, play important roles in tumor
formation by inactivating tumor suppressor proteins, interacting with transcription factors and
cell cycle regulatory proteins thereby deregulating cell proliferation leading to oncogenesis.
The first part of this work involved the study of anti-apoptotic activity of HPV
oncoproteins in drug resistant cervical cancer cell line, SiHaR. The results showed significant
increase in the expression levels of anti-apoptotic, Bcl-XL gene and E6/E7 oncoproteins in
SiHaR when compared to those of SiHa parental cell line. SiHaR also showed the
characteristics of cross resistance to other apoptosis-inducing agents including radiation as
well as exhibiting decreased caspase-3 activity. The effects of HPV16 E6 and E7 on Bcl-XL
expression were further investigated in HPV-free C33a cervical cancer cell line and results
demonstrated transcriptional activity of E7 but not E6. Our findings suggested that an
increased expression of E7 in SiHaR might be a crucial factor contributing to elevated
expression of Bcl-XL leading to apoptosis resistance to both chemotherapeutic drugs and
radiation.
The second part focused on the examination of the effects of viral oncoproteins, E6
and E7, from different risk groups of HPV on MIC (MHC class I related chain) gene
regulation. The results revealed that again E7 but not E6 oncoprotein from the high risk
HPV16 could up-regulate MICA and MICB gene expression as assessed by RT-PCR. When
the effects of E7 from different risk groups of HPV were compared, E7 from both low risk
(HPV6) and intermediate risk (HPV59) HPVs demonstrated higher transcriptional activation
on MICA and MICB genes than that of the high risk (HPV16) E7. Only the transcriptional
activities of HPV6 and HPV59 E7 showed dose-dependent effects. We further investigated the
putative transcription factor binding site on MICB promoter required for E7 function. One
kilobase region of MICB promoter was subcloned into pGL3 luciferase reporter plasmid.
Results from transient co-transfection of various HPV E7 using this construct indicated that
AP-1 protein was necessary for transcriptional activation of MICB gene. This activity was
abolished when the AP-1 binding site was mutated. We concluded that HPV oncoproteins
from different risk groups exhibited differential transcriptional activities on MIC gene. This
activity was partly stimulated by AP-1 protein suggesting the interaction between HPV E7 and
AP-1 protein on MICB promoter