Inactivation of the human papillomavirus-16 E6 oncoprotein by organic disulfides

We are investigating compounds that could be useful in the treatment of neoplastic lesions of the cervix by acting on the oncoprotein E6 of human papillomavirus-16. The E6 protein contains two potential zinc-binding domains that are required for most of its functions. We have published tests that measure (i) the release of zinc ions after chemical alteration of the cysteine groups of these zinc-binding domains (TSQ assay), (ii) the interaction of E6 with the cellular proteins E6AP and E6BP (BIACORE assay), and (iii) the viability of tumor cell lines that require the continuous expression of HPV oncoproteins (WST1 assay). Based on these tests, we identified 4.4'-dithiodimorpholine as a potential lead compound. In this study we examined whether the dithiobisamine moiety of 4,4'-dithiodimorpholine may be an important molecular prerequisite for further drug development in this system. We have evaluated 59 new substances including organic disulfides and those containing the dithiobisamine moiety, as well as structural analogues. The compounds with significant reactivity in all three assays were observed only for dithiobisamine derivatives with saturated cyclic amines and aryl substituted piperazines. The identity of these substances suggests that the N-S-S-N moiety is necessary but not sufficient for reactivity in our assays, and that dithiobisamine based substances are useful as lead compounds that target the cysteine groups of HPV-16 E6 zinc fingers.

Nuclear matrix attachment regions of human papillomavirus type 16 repress or activate the E6 promoter, depending on the physical state of the viral DNA

Two nuclear matrix attachment regions (MARs) bracket a 550-bp segment of the long control region (LCR) containing the epithelial cell-specific enhancer and the E6 promoter of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16). One of these MARs is located in the 5' third of the LCR (5'-LCR-MAR); the other lies within the E6 gene (E6-MAR). To study their function, we linked these MARs in various natural or artificial permutations to a chimeric gene consisting of the HPV-16 enhancer-promoter segment and a reporter gene. In transient transfections of HeLa cells, the presence of either of these two MARs strongly represses reporter gene expression. In contrast to this, but similar to the published behavior of cellular MARs, reporter gene expression is stimulated strongly by the E6-MAR and moderately by the 5'-LCR-MAR in stable transfectants of HeLa or C33A cells. To search for binding sites of soluble nuclear proteins which may be responsible for repression during transient transfections, we performed electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) of overlapping oligonucleotides that represented all sequences of these two MARs. Both MARs contain multiple sites for two strongly binding proteins and weak binding sites for additional factors. The strongest complex, with at least five binding sites in each MAR, is generated by the CCAAT displacement factor (CDP)/Cut, as judged by biochemical purification, by EMSAs with competing oligonucleotides and with anti-CDP/Cut oligonucleotides, and by mutations. CDP/Cut, a repressor that is down-regulated during differentiation, apparently represses HPV-16 transcription in undifferentiated epithelials cells and in HeLa cells, which are rich in CDP/Cut. In analogy to poorly understood mechanisms acting on cellular MARs, activation after physical linkage to chromosomal DNA may result from competition between the nuclear matrix and CDP/Cut. Our observations show that cis-responsive elements that regulate the HPV-16 E6 promoter are tightly clustered over at least 1.3 kb and occur throughout the E6 gene. HPV-16 MARs are context dependent transcriptional enhancers, and activated expression of HPV-16 oncogenes dependent on chromosomal integration may positively select tumorigenic cells during the multistep etiology of cervical cancer.

The differentiation-specific factor CDP/Cut represses transcription and replication of human papillomaviruses through a conserved silencing element

The life cycles of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are intimately linked to the differentiation program of infected stratified epithelia, with both viral gene expression and replication being maintained at low levels in undifferentiated basal cells and increased upon host cell differentiation. We recently identified, in HPV-16, a negative regulatory element between the epithelial-cell-specific enhancer and the E6 promoter that is capable of silencing E6 promoter activity, and we termed this element a papillomavirus silencing motif (PSM) and the unknown cellular factor that bound to it PSM binding protein (PSM-BP). Here we show that the homologous genomic segments of six other distantly related genital HPV types contain a PSM that binds PSM-BP and is capable of repressing transcription. Conservation of the PSM suggests that it is indispensable for the HPV life cycle. Purification, electrophoretic mobility shift assay experiments, and the use of specific antibodies proved that the cellular factor PSM-BP is identical to a previously described transcriptional repressor, the CCAAT displacement protein (CDP), also referred to as the human Cut protein (Cut). CDP/Cut repression of HPV-16 may stem from the modification of specifically positioned nucleosomes, as suggested by transcriptional stimulation under the influence of the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. CDP/Cut is an important developmental regulator in several different tissues. It was recently shown that CDP/Cut is expressed in basal epithelial cells but not in differentiated primary keratinocytes. This suggests the possibility that repression by PSM couples HPV transcription to the stratification of epithelia. In each of the studied HPV types, the two CDP/Cut binding sites of PSM overlap with the known or presumed binding sites of the replication initiator protein E1. Transfection of CDP/Cut expression vectors into cells that support HPV-16 or HPV-31 replication leads to the elimination of viral episomes. Similarly, two PSM-like motifs overlapping the E1 binding site of bovine papillomavirus type 1 bind CDP/Cut, and CDP/Cut overexpression reduces the copy number of episomally replicating BPV-1 genomes in mouse fibroblasts. CDP/Cut appears to be a master regulator of HPV transcription and replication during epithelial differentiation, and PSMs are important cis-responsive targets of this repressor.

The human papillomavirus type 16 E6 oncoprotein can down-regulate p53 activity by targeting the transcriptional coactivator CBP/p300

The transforming proteins of the small DNA tumor viruses, simian virus 40 (SV40), adenovirus, and human papillomavirus (HPV) target a number of identical cellular regulators whose functional abrogation is required for transformation. However, while both adenovirus E1A and SV40 large T transforming properties also depend on the targeting of the transcriptional coactivator CBP/p300, no such interaction has been described for the HPV oncoprotein E6 or E7. Here, we demonstrate that the HPV-16 E6 protein, previously shown to facilitate the degradation of p53 in a complex with E6-associated protein (E6AP), also targets CBP/p300 in an interaction involving the C-terminal zinc finger of E6 and CBP residues 1808 to 1826. Furthermore, this interaction is limited to E6 proteins of high-risk HPVs associated with cervical cancer that have the capacity to repress p53-dependent transcription. An HPV-16 E6 mutant (L50G) that binds CBP/p300, but not E6AP, is still capable of down-regulating p53 transcriptional activity. Thus, HPV E6 proteins possess two distinct mechanisms by which to abrogate p53 function: the repression of p53 transcriptional activity by targeting the p53 coactivator CBP/p300, and the removal of cellular p53 protein through the proteosome degradation pathway.

Potential drugs against cervical cancer: zinc-ejecting inhibitors of the human papillomavirus type 16 E6 oncoprotein

BACKGROUND

The principal agent in the etiology of cervical cancer, i.e., human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16, encodes three oncoproteins, E5, E6, and E7. Structural and mutational studies have identified two potential zinc-finger domains as critical for E6 protein function. We investigated several assays to identify and characterize compounds that interfere with the binding of zinc to E6.

METHODS

Thirty-six compounds were selected on the basis of their structure, which would facilitate their participation in sulfhydryl residue-specific redox reactions, and were tested for their ability to release zinc from E6 protein. The zinc-ejecting compounds were then tested for their ability to inhibit E6 binding to E6-associated protein (E6AP) and E6-binding protein (E6BP), two coactivators of E6-mediated cellular transformation. The binding of E6 to E6BP and E6AP was measured by use of surface plasmon resonance (a technique that monitors molecular interactions by measuring changes in refractive index) and by use of in vitro translation assays. The compounds were also tested for their effects on the viability of HPV-containing cell lines.

RESULTS

Nine of the 36 tested compounds ejected zinc from E6. Two of the nine compounds inhibited the interaction of E6 with E6AP and E6BP, and one of these two, 4, 4'-dithiodimorpholine, selectively inhibited cell viability and induced higher levels of p53 protein (associated with the induction of apoptosis [programmed cell death]) in tumorigenic HPV-containing cells.

CONCLUSION

We have described assay systems to identify compounds, such as 4,4'-dithiodimorpholine, that can potentially interfere with the biology and pathology of HPV. These assay systems may be useful in the development of drugs against cervical cancer, genital warts, and asymptomatic infections by genital HPVs.

Many different papillomaviruses have low transcriptional activity in spite of strong epithelial specific enhancers

Transcription of the E6-E7 genes of human papillomavirus type 11 (HPV-11), HPV-16 and HPV-18 is specific to epithelial cells. This mechanism originates from synergism between different transcription factors such as AP-1, NFI and Sp1, which occur in many different cell types, but whose activity is biased in favour of epithelial cells. In this study, the transcriptional regulation of 14 different papillomavirus types in the absence of the viral E2 transcription factor was compared. Genital HPV types, including high-risk, low-risk and common wart-associated HPVs, were found to have strong epithelial specific enhancers, irrespective of mucosal or skin target cell and pathology. Skin specific non-genital HPVs, like HPV-1 and HPV-8, as well as bovine papillomavirus type 4 (BPV-4), had much lower enhancer activity. Contiguous genomic segments including the enhancer and the E6 promoter of genital as well as non-genital papillomaviruses generally had very low transcriptional activities, presumably due to silencers between enhancer and promoter sequences. This generalization applies to all cell types tested in spite of significant quantitative differences between the cervical carcinoma-derived cell line HeLa, the skin-derived cell line HaCat, undifferentiated and differentiated primary keratinocytes. The only enhancer with activity in fibroblasts was identified in BPV-1, apparently a reflection of the broader target cell specificity of this virus. The low transcriptional activity of papillomaviruses most likely reflects the low gene expression required during most or even all parts of the life-cycle of these viruses.

Characterization of an E1A-CBP interaction defines a novel transcriptional adapter motif (TRAM) in CBP/p300

The adenovirus E1A protein subverts cellular processes to induce mitotic activity in quiescent cells. Important targets of E1A include members of the transcriptional adapter family containing CBP/p300. Competition for CBP/p300 binding by various cellular transcription factors has been suggested as a means of integrating different signalling pathways and may also represent a potential mechanism by which E1A manipulates cell fate. Here we describe the characterization of the interaction between E1A and the C/H3 region of CBP. We define a novel conserved 12-residue transcriptional adapter motif (TRAM) within CBP/p300 that represents the binding site for both E1A and numerous cellular transcription factors. We also identify a sequence (FPESLIL) within adenovirus E1A that is required to bind the CBP TRAM. Furthermore, an E1A peptide containing the FPESLIL sequence is capable of preventing the interaction between CBP and TRAM-binding transcription factors, such as p53, E2F, and TFIIB, thus providing a molecular model for E1A action. As an in vivo demonstration of this model, we used a small region of CBP containing a functional TRAM that can bind to the p53 protein. The CBP TRAM binds p53 sequences targeted by the cellular regulator MDM2, and we demonstrate that an MDM2-p53 interaction can be disrupted by the CBP TRAM, leading to stabilization of cellular p53 levels and the activation of p53-dependent transcription. Transcriptional activation of p53 by the CBP TRAM is abolished by wild-type E1A but not by a CBP-binding-deficient E1A mutant.

The chromatin structure of the long control region of human papillomavirus type 16 represses viral oncoprotein expression

The long control region (LCR) of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) has a size of 850 bp (about 12% of the viral genome) and regulates transcription and replication of the viral DNA. The 5' segment of the LCR contains transcription termination signals and a nuclear matrix attachment region, the central segment contains an epithelial cell-specific enhancer, and the 3' segment contains the replication origin and the E6 promoter. Here we report observations on the chromatin organization of this part of the HPV-16 genome. Treatment of the nuclei of CaSki cells, a cell line with 500 intrachromosomal copies of HPV-16, with methidiumpropyl-EDTA-Fe(II) reveals nucleosomes in specific positions on the LCR and the E6 and E7 genes. One of these nucleosomes, which we termed Ne, overlaps with the center of the viral enhancer, while a second nucleosome, Np16, overlaps with the replication origin and the E6 promoter. The two nucleosomes become positioned on exactly the same segments after in vitro assembly of chromatin on the cloned HPV-16 LCR. Primer extension mapping of DNase I-cleaved chromatin revealed Np16 to be positioned centrally over E6 promoter elements, extending into the replication origin. Ne covers the center of the enhancer but leaves an AP-1 site, one of the strongest cis-responsive elements of the enhancer, unprotected. Np16, or a combination of Np16 and Ne, represses the activity of the E6 promoter during in vitro transcription of HPV-16 chromatin. Repression is relieved by addition of Sp1 and AP-1 transcription factors. Sp1 alters the structure of Np16 in vitro, while no changes can be observed during the binding of AP-1. HPV-18, which has a similar arrangement of cis-responsive elements despite its evolutionary divergence from HPV-16, shows specific assembly in vitro of a nucleosome, Np18, over the E1 binding site and E6 promoter elements but positioned about 90 bp 5' of the position of Np16 on the homologous HPV-16 sequences. The chromatin organization of the HPV-16 and HPV-18 genomes suggests important regulatory roles of nucleosomes during the viral life cycle.

A novel YY1-independent silencer represses the activity of the human papillomavirus type 16 enhancer

Regulation of the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E6 promoter is a complex process in which transcriptional repression as well as activation plays an important role. Here, we identify a negative regulatory element that in the context of a continuous long control region fragment overcomes the activation of the HPV-16 enhancer. This silencing element, which we have termed a PSM (papillomavirus silencing motif), consists of two copies of the sequence 5'-TAYAATAAT-3' that overlap the origin of replication. Each copy of this 9-bp sequence binds the same unknown cellular factor, which we refer to as PSM-BP (PSM binding protein). Both copies of the binding sequence are required for transcriptional repression, and we provide evidence that suggests that this particular organization results in the stabilization of a PSM-BP dimer. The silencing motif, while functioning in either orientation, showed a positional requirement between the enhancer and the promoter. Experiments with both a heterologous enhancer and a promoter also demonstrated a general ability of this element to function as a transcriptional silencer in non-HPV systems. Our findings provide an important addition to our understanding of HPV-16 gene regulation and an interesting model for the study of transcriptional repression.

Nuclear matrix attachment regions of human papillomavirus type 16 point toward conservation of these genomic elements in all genital papillomaviruses

The gene functions, transcriptional regulation, and genome replication of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been extensively studied. Thus far, however, there has been little research on the organization of HPV genomes in the nuclei of infected cells. As a first step to understand how chromatin and suprachromatin structures may modulate the life cycles of these viruses, we have identified and mapped interactions of HPV DNAs with the nuclear matrix. The endogenous genomes of HPV type 16 (HPV-16) which are present in SiHa, HPKI, and HPKII cells, adhere in vivo to the nuclear matrixes of these cell lines. A tight association with the nuclear matrix in vivo may be common to all genital HPV types, as the genomes of HPV-11, HPV-16, HPV-18, and HPV-33 showed high affinity in vitro to preparations of the nuclear matrix of C33A cells, as did the well-known nuclear matrix attachment region (MAR) of the cellular beta interferon gene. Affinity to the nuclear matrix is not evenly spread over the HPV-16 genome. Five genomic segments have strong MAR properties, while the other parts of the genome have low or no affinity. Some of the five MARs correlate with known cis-responsive elements: a strong MAR lies in the 5' segment of the long control region (LCR), and another one lies in the E6 gene, flanking the HPV enhancer, the replication origin, and the E6 promoter. The strongest MAR coincides with the E5 gene and the early-late intergenic region. Weak MAR activity is present in the E1 and E2 genes and in the 3' part of L2. The in vitro map of MAR activity appears to reflect MAR properties in vivo, as we found for two selected fragments with and without MAR activity. As is typical for many MARs, the two segments with highest affinity, namely, the 5' LCR and the early-late intergenic region, have an extraordinarily high A-T content (up to 85%). It is likely that these MARs have specific functions in the viral life cycle, as MARs predicted by nucleotide sequence analysis, patterns of A-T content, transcription factor YY1 binding sites, and likely topoisomerase II cleavage sites are conserved in similar positions throughout all genital HPVs.

Phylogenetic analysis of the human papillomavirus type 2 (HPV-2), HPV-27, and HPV-57 group, which is associated with common warts

Human papillomavirus types 2 (HPV-2), HPV-27, and HPV-57, are three closely related viruses within the phylogenetic supergroup formed by the remotely related genital papillomaviruses. In contrast to this phylogenetic association, these three viruses are most often found in common warts at nongenital sites, but also occasionally in genital warts and mucosal lesions of the nasopharyngeal cavity. We studied the genomic diversity of HPV sequences in skin warts presumably caused by these viruses. These biopsies were sampled from 75 patients living in Germany, Japan, or Singapore. Among 27 warts with HPV-2, we found seven new genomic variants and among 32 with HPV-57, eight new variants. In both cases, we did not detect the original prototype genomes. In contrast, 13 of 16 warts with HPV-27 contained the prototype genome, and only one new variant was found in three patients. We did not find variants clearly intermediate between any two types, although HPV-2 and HPV-27 are among the most closely related of the extent HPV types. We also did not detect novel HPV types, although the samples were examined with polymerase chain reaction protocols that would have detected remotely related HPVs. So we propose that the phylogenetic group formed by HPV-2, HPV-27, and HPV-57 has no or only very are additional members. One of the HPV-57 variants found, HPV-57-G44, was most likely identical to the subtype HPV-57b, previously proposed to be associated with nasal neoplasia, but found here frequently in common skin warts. Our publication establishes a foundation for pathological and phylogenetic comparisons of HPV types in skin warts.

Genomic diversity and evolution of papillomaviruses in rhesus monkeys

We are studying the diversity of and relationships among papillomaviruses (PVs) to understand the modes and timescales of PV evolution and in the hope of finding animal PVs that may serve as model systems for disease caused by human PVs (HPVs). Toward this goal, we have examined 326 genital samples from rhesus monkeys and long-tailed macaques with a PCR protocol optimized for detecting genital HPV types. In 28 of the rhesus monkey samples, we found amplicons derived from 12 different and novel PV genomes, RhPV-a to RhPV-m, with the likely taxonomic status of "type." The frequency with which novel RhPVs were detected suggests that rhesus monkeys may play host to PVs with a diversity similar to that of humans. In phylogenetic trees, all 12 of the different RhPVs and the previously described type RhPV-1 were members of the genital HPV supergroup and formed three minor branches distinct from the 11 branches formed by genital HPVs. We also identified a novel PV amplicon, MfPV-a, from a long-tailed macaque, a species belonging to the same genus as rhesus monkeys. MfPV-a turned out to be a close relative of five RhPVs. It appears that the evolution of primate lineages leading to the genus Macaca and to humans created transmission barriers for PVs, resulting in viral evolution closely linked to the host. Additional support for the linked-evolution hypothesis comes from considering the phylogenetic association of two other ape and monkey PVs with the genital HPVs, the supergroup formed by at least seven ungulate PVs, and the isolated phylogenetic position of the only known bird PV.

NFI-B3, a novel transcriptional repressor of the nuclear factor I family, is generated by alternative RNA processing

Nuclear factor I (NFI) proteins constitute a family of sequence-specific transcription factors whose functional diversity is generated through transcription from four different genes (NFI-A, NFI-B, NFI-C, and NFI-X), alternative RNA splicing, and protein heterodimerization. Here we describe a naturally truncated isoform, NFI-B3, which is derived from the human NFI-B gene, in addition to characterizing further human NFI-B1 and NFI-B2, two differentially spliced variants previously isolated from hamster and chicken. Although NFI-B1 and NFI-B2 proteins are translated from an 8. 7-kilobase message, the mRNA for NFI-B3 has a size of only 1.8 kilobases. The NFI-B3 message originates from the failure to excise the first intron downstream of the exons encoding the DNA binding domain and subsequent processing of this transcript at an intron-internal polyadenylation signal. The translation product includes the proposed DNA binding and dimerization domain and terminates after translation of two additional "intron" encoded codons. In SL-2 cells, which are void of endogenous NFI, NFI-B3 by itself had no effect on transcriptional regulation and failed to bind DNA. Coexpression of NFI-B3 with other isoforms of the NFI-B, -C, and -X family, however, led to a strong reduction of transcriptional activation compared with the expression of these factors alone. Gel shift analysis indicated that NFI-B3 disrupts the function of other NFI proteins by reducing their DNA binding activity by heterodimer formation. The efficiency of NFI-B3 heterodimers to bind to DNA correlated with the degree of transcriptional repression. The abundance of NFI-B transcripts varied significantly between different human cell lines and tissues, suggesting a potential involvement of these factors in the complex mechanisms that generate cell type specificity.

Genital papillomaviruses (PVs) and epidermodysplasia verruciformis PVs occur in the same monkey species: implications for PV evolution

Portions of the genome from two different papillomaviruses (PVs) of the Abyssinian Colobus monkey were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. This revealed that the major evolutionary separation between genital PVs and epidermodysplasia verruciformis-associated PVs (EV-PVs) hitherto found only in human papillomaviruses (HPVs) also exists in animal PVs. The sequence of the long control region (LCR) of Colobus monkey PV type 2 (CgPV-2) reveals a small size and an arrangement of potential cis-responsive elements typical of the EV-HPVs; namely four binding sites for the viral E2 protein, with one of them being located within the L1 gene, a cluster of nuclear factor I (NFI)- and AP-1-binding sites and a 50-bp sequence upstream of the E6 gene consisting only of the nucleotides A and T. This level of conservation of functional elements within the highly variable LCR suggests that CgPV-2 could be adopted as a model for studying human skin cancer associated with EV-HPVs. Although isolated from the same monkey species, the other Colobus monkey PV, CgPV-1, is a typical genital PV as shown by E1 and L1 sequence comparisons. The presence of these two major phylogenetic divisions of PVs in both human and monkey hosts strongly suggests that this diversification predated the evolutionary split between monkeys and apes. In other words, at least two different groups of PVs have been evolving separately in their respective primate hosts for more than 22 million years with only moderate sequence changes since their genesis.

Elucidating the population histories and transmission dynamics of papillomaviruses using phylogenetic trees

Using gene genealogies constructed from gene sequence data, we show that both the mucosal and cutaneous papillomaviruses (PV)-supergroups A and B-appear to have been transmitted through susceptible populations faster than exponentially. The data and methods involved (1) examining the PV database for phylogenetic signal in an L1 open reading frame (ORF) fragment and an E1 ORF segment, (2) demonstrating that the same two fragments have evolved in a way consistent with a molecular clock, and (3) applying methods of phylogenetic tree analysis that test different scenarios for the dynamics of viral transmission within populations. The results indicate increases in PV populations of both supergroups A and B in the recent past. This form of the increases, which fit a null model of population growth with an exponent increasing in time, is compatible with the fact that human populations have grown at a faster than exponential rate, thus increasing the numbers of susceptible hosts for HPVs. There are, however, indications that the population of supergroup A has now stopped increasing in size.

Mutations and polymorphisms in the p53, p21 and p16 genes in oral carcinomas of Indian betel quid chewers

India has one of the world's highest incidences of oral cancer. It is believed that the widespread habit of betel quid chewing is an important risk factor as it exposes the oral mucosa to known carcinogens. It also induces physical abrasions, which may create mitogenic environments during wound healing as gateways for infections. A recent study from our laboratories identified human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA, mostly of the high-risk types HPV-16 and HPV-18, in 67 of 91 oral cancer lesions from a cohort of Indian patients consisting mostly of betel quid users. This suggested a viral etiology of some lesions but tumorigenesis in the absence of viruses in other lesions. Here, we examined whether the p53 gene, whose function is abrogated by the product of the HPV gene E6, would be mutated in those oral cancers that were free of HPV DNA, and we found point mutations at known hot spots for mutational alteration of p53 in 4 of 23 lesions. We also considered the possibility that p21, a target of regulation by the p53 protein, may be mutationally altered in tumors with a functional p53 gene. While we did not identify mutations in the p21 gene, 6 of 11 lesions contained a polymorphism that may be associated with cancer. Interestingly, 3 of 23 lesions had mutations in the p16 gene, a third regulator of the cell cycle which is frequently mutated in melanoma but rarely in other cancers, with 1 lesion even having a mutation in the p53 as well as in the p16 gene. Our data point to p53 and p16 as gene targets of oral carcinogenesis, with chemicals in the betel quid possibly functioning in these tumors as carcinogens.

High Sp1/Sp3 ratios in epithelial cells during epithelial differentiation and cellular transformation correlate with the activation of the HPV-16 promoter

Gene expression of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) and other HPV types is epithelial specific. Specificity is brought about by synergism between several different transcription factors that seem to occur ubiquitously but differ qualitatively and quantitatively between cells in which HPV genomes are transcriptionally active or inactive. Here, we report on the contribution to this combinatorial mechanism by the activator Sp1 and the related antagonist Sp3, both of which can bind a single site at the E6 promoter of all genital HPVs. In the Sp-factor-free background of Drosophila cells, Sp1 activates HPV-16 transcription, while Sp3 fails to do so and even inhibits the activation by Sp1. The same differential activation occurs in the case of promoters of the epithelial-specific cellular genes encoding keratin 18 and E-cadherin. All cell types that we examined contain similar amounts of Sp3 factor. In contrast, Sp1 levels, determined by supershifts and Western blots, are higher in several human epithelial cell lines that support HPV transcription than in human fibroblasts, liver, and muscle cells. This suggests that cell-type differential transcription is regulated by Sp1 and Sp3. In primary keratinocytes, Sp3 levels exceed those of Sp1. This ratio became inverted after differentiating these cells in high calcium, or methyl cellulose containing medium. The simultaneous transcriptional stimulation of the HPV promoter points to a role of the Sp1-Sp3 antagonism during a differentiation of stratified epithelia in vivo, as these culture techniques mimick this process in vitro. Transformation in vivo or in vitro seems to override these cell-type-specific controls and leads to a general increase of Sp1 activity.

YY1 represses human papillomavirus type 16 transcription by quenching AP-1 activity

YY1 is a multifunctional transcription factor that has been shown to regulate the expression of a number of cellular and viral genes, including the human papillomavirus (HPV) oncogenes E6 and E7. In this study, we have analyzed the YY1-mediated repression of the HPV type 16 (HPV-16) E6-E7 promoter. A systematic analysis to identify YY1 sites present in the HPV-16 long control region showed that of 30 potential YY1 binding motifs, 24 bound purified recombinant YY1 protein, but only 10 of these were able to bind YY1 when nuclear extracts of HeLa cells were used. Of these, only a cluster of five sites, located in the vicinity of an AP-1 motif, were found to be responsible for repressing the HPV-16 P97 promoter. All five sites were required for repression, the mutation of any one site giving rise to a four- to sixfold increase in transcriptional activity. The target for YY1-mediated repression was identified as being a highly conserved AP-1 site, and we propose that AP-1 may represent a common target for YY1 repression. We also provide data demonstrating that YY1 can bind the transcriptional coactivator CREB-binding protein and propose a potentially novel mechanism by which YY1 represses AP-1 activity as a result of this YY1-CREB-binding protein interaction.

Human papillomaviruses in 91 oral cancers from Indian betel quid chewers--high prevalence and multiplicity of infections

India has one of the world's highest incidences of oral cancer. The habit of chewing betel quid is widespread and is suspected to play a role in the etiology of this disease. Studies in many other countries have also pointed to a role for human papilloma-viruses (HPVs) in the etiology of some oral cancers. In this study we analyzed biopsies from 91 Indian oral cancer patients, most of whom were betel quid chewers, by PCR amplification and direct DNA sequencing. HPV DNA was detected in 74% of these lesions, of which 41% had multiple HPV infections. Among the lesions from different oral sites, lesions of the tongue had the highest rate (9 of 11) of HPV infection. These HPV prevalences are among the highest ever reported in oral cancers. As to individual HPV types, prevalences of HPV-6, HPV-11, HPV-16 and HPV-18 were 13%, 20%, 42% and 47%, respectively. No additional known or novel HPV types were detected. To understand the unexpectedly high prevalences of the "low-risk" types HPV-6 and HPV-11, we compared the subtypes and variants that were found in oral cancers against those from benign genital warts from the same patient population but found no differences. The high prevalence of HPV in the oral cancers of these Indian patients suggests that viral infection is an important etiological component, with betel quid probably causing additional mutagenic steps in the carcinogenic process.

Analysis of genomic sequences of 95 papillomavirus types: uniting typing, phylogeny, and taxonomy

Our aim was to study the phylogenetic relationships of all known papillomaviruses (PVs) and the possibility of establishing a supratype taxonomic classification based on this information. Of the many detectably homologous segments present in PV genomes, a 291-bp segment of the L1 gene is notable because it is flanked by the MY09 and MY11 consensus primers and contains highly conserved amino acid residues which simplify sequence alignment. We determined the MY09-MY11 sequences of human PV type 20 (HPV-20), HPV-21, HPV-22, HPV-23, HPV-24, HPV-36, HPV-37, HPV-38, HPV-48, HPV-50, HPV-60, HPV-70, HPV-72, HPV-73, ovine (sheep) PV, bovine PV type 3 (BPV-3), BPV-5, and BPV-6 and created a database which now encompasses HPV-1 to HPV-70, HPV-72, HPV-73, seven yet untyped HPV genomes, and 15 animal PV types. Three additional animal PVs were analyzed on the basis of other sequence data. We constructed phylogenies based on partial L1 and E6 gene sequences and distinguished five major clades that we call supergroups. One of them unites 54 genital PV types, which can be further divided into eleven groups. The second supergroup has 24 types and unites most PVs that are typically found in epidermodysplasia verruciformis patients but also includes several types typical of other cutaneous lesions, like HPV-4. The third supergroup unites the six known ungulate fibropapillomaviruses, the fourth includes the cutaneous ungulate PVs BPV-3, BPV-4, and BPV-6, and the fifth includes HPV-1, HPV-41, HPV-63, the canine oral PV, and the cottontail rabbit PV. The chaffinch PV and two rodent PVs, Micromys minutus PV and Mastomys natalensis PV, are left ungrouped because of the relative isolation of each of their lineages. Within most supergroups, groups formed on the basis of cladistic principles unite phenotypically similar PV types. We discuss the basis of our classification, the concept of the PV type, speciation, PV-host evolution, and estimates of their rates of evolution.

Oct-1 activates the epithelial-specific enhancer of human papillomavirus type 16 via a synergistic interaction with NFI at a conserved composite regulatory element

A highly conserved composite regulatory element in the epithelial-specific enhancer of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) consists of an octamer motif separated by exactly 2 bp from a nonpalindromic NFI site. Point mutations within this composite element, created to prevent the binding of Oct-1 or NFI, result in up to 10- to 12-fold decrease in enhancer activity. A mutation preventing the binding of both proteins does not, however, result in any further decrease in activity suggesting a cooperative interaction between these two factors. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays provide evidence that the simultaneous binding of both factors to the composite element is indeed required for efficient activation. Furthermore, evidence demonstrating the inability of Oct-1 by itself to elicit a transcriptional response from this enhancer position suggests that Oct-1 does not activate transcription directly, but rather may play a crucial role in the viral enhancer by tethering NF1 to the composite element. This finding represents both a potentially important mechanism by which HPV gene expression can be regulated and an interesting model for the study of transcriptional cooperativity.

Identification and assessment of known and novel human papillomaviruses by polymerase chain reaction amplification, restriction fragment length polymorphisms, nucleotide sequence, and phylogenetic algorithms

The identification and taxonomy of papillomaviruses has become increasingly complex, as approximately 70 human papillomavirus (HPV) types have been described and novel HPV genomes continue to be identified. Methods and corresponding DNA sequence data bases were designed for the reliable identification of mucosal HPV genomes from clinical specimens. HPVs are identified by the amplification of a fragment of the L1 region by consensus primer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequent hybridization or restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. L1 PCR fragments may be further characterized by nucleotide sequencing. Conservation of 30 (of 151) predicted amino acids identifies HPV genomic fragments, and nucleotide sequence alignments allow calculation of their phylogenetic relatedness. Sequence differences > 10% from any known HPV type suggest a novel HPV type. Phylogenetic relationships with known HPV types may permit predictions of biology. With these criteria, 10 PCR fragments were identified that would qualify as new genital HPV types after complete genomic isolation.

Identification of genomic sequences of three novel human papillomavirus sequences in cervical smears of Amazonian Indians

During examination of cervical smears from 180 American Indian patients from the Amazon, 3 of 26 samples that were positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) did not hybridize with DNA probes to 19 different genital HPV types. The nucleotide sequences of these clones, LVX82, LVX100, and LVX160, confirmed their origin from HPV genomes. They were distinct from all presently known genital HPV types because each sequence differed by > 10% compared with their closest relatives, HPV-39, HPV-61, and HPV-62. Thus, these three clones were derived from viruses that would qualify as new HPV types should their complete genomes be isolated. It was hoped that these clones would represent HPV types endemic to America's aboriginal populations; however, corresponding studies detected related HPV genomes in non-Indian populations of Brazil, North America, and Southeast Asia.

Mechanism of translation of the bicistronic mRNA encoding human papillomavirus type 16 E6-E7 genes

The transforming genes E6 and E7 of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 and other HPV types are expressed from a bicistronic mRNA with a characteristic spacing of 3 to 6 bp between the termination codon of E6 and the initiation codon of E7. Plasmid pSP64E6E7 which contains the reading frames of both E6 and E7 was constructed in order to study the expression of both proteins in a coupled transcription/rabbit reticulocyte translation system. Both E6 and E7 proteins were expressed simultaneously. This translation could be interfered with by antisense oligonucleotides corresponding to various regions of the transcript. Antisense oligonucleotides targeted at sequences flanking either side of the translation initiation codon of the E6 open reading frame were effective in inhibiting the synthesis of both proteins, whereas oligonucleotides complementary to the coding regions downstream of the first start codon showed either a considerably reduced effect or none at all. In particular, there was limited inhibition of E7 translation by antisense oligonucleotides flanking the translation start region of the E7 gene. In the presence of RNase H, it was possible to selectively inhibit the synthesis of either E6 or E7 by several gene-internal antisense oligonucleotides. We conclude that HPV16 E6-E7 bicistronic mRNA is fully functional and that both proteins are translated with equal efficiency via the scanning mechanisms with reinitiation at the second open reading frame. In addition, both AE6 and AE7 may have therapeutical potential as they are capable of inhibiting the proliferation of CaSki cells which contain the HPV16 genome.

The human papillomavirus type 16 E2 transcription factor binds with low cooperativity to two flanking sites and represses the E6 promoter through displacement of Sp1 and TFIID

The E6 promoters of all genital human papillomaviruses have a characteristic alignment of transcription factor binding sites. Activation of the basic transcription complex at the TATA box depends upon a sequence-aberrant Sp1 site. Repression of E6 promoters is achieved by two binding sites for the viral E2 protein positioned between the Sp1 site and the TATA box. We have purified the human papillomavirus type 16 E2 protein after expression in Escherichia coli and studied its binding and repression properties with oligonucleotides representing the homologous promoter sequences. A Kd value of 3 x 10(-10) M indicated binding properties expected for a native protein. We found low cooperativity in the binding of two E2 dimers to flanking sites, both when these sites were separated by 3 nucleotides, as in the natural promoter, and when they were further apart. E2 protein, bound close to the distal Sp1 site, displaced the Sp1 factor even when the aberrant sequence was replaced by a typical Sp1 core recognition site. The high affinity of E2 protein for its binding site even led to Sp1 displacement at concentrations of E2 protein nearly 2 orders of magnitude lower than those of Sp1. Functional analyses of mutated E6 promoter sequences showed repression by this distal E2 binding site in the complete absence of binding to the proximal E2 binding site. From our findings and observations published by others, we conclude that each of the E2 binding sites in the E6 promoter of genital human papillomaviruses plays a separate role by displacing the transcription factors Sp1 and TFIID.

Cloning and functional analysis of spliced isoforms of human nuclear factor I-X: interference with transcriptional activation by NFI/CTF in a cell-type specific manner

Previous studies of the epithelial specificity of the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) enhancer pointed out an important role of nuclear factor I (NFI). In epithelial cells, NFI proteins are derived from the NFI-C gene and referred to as NFI/CTF. In contrast, fibroblasts, where the enhancer is inactive, express high levels of NFI from the NFI-X gene. To compare NFI-C and NFI-X derived transcription factors, we cloned and functionally investigated two differentially spliced forms of NFI-X from human fibroblasts. NFI-X1 has 95% homology with a transcript previously identified in hamster liver cells. NFI-X2, a spliced variant, misses 41 amino acids of the proline-rich activation domain. NFI-X expression, examined by Northern blots, shows strong cell-type specific variation in comparison with NFI/CTF. While the transcriptional activation domain of NFI-X2, functionally tested as GAL4-fusion protein in epithelial and fibroblast cells, activates transcription from promoter as well as enhancer position similar to NFI/CTF-1, the activation domain of NFI-X1 fails to activate transcription from enhancer position. In Drosophila cells, void of endogenous NFI proteins, full length NFI/CTF-1 and NFI-X2 activate a reporter construct containing only NFI sites as well as the NFI dependent HPV-16 enhancer. In contrast, NFI-X1 fails to activate the HPV-16 enhancer. Furthermore, overexpression of NFI-X1 in epithelial cells down-regulates the HPV-16 enhancer. Our findings suggest that the family of NFI transcription factors should not be viewed as constitutive activators, but rather, that NFI-C and NFI-X have divergent functions after binding in promoter or enhancer position. This property, combined with the differential expression of NFI-X, can achieve cell-type specificity of NFI dependent promoters and enhancers.

Human papillomavirus type 2c is identical to human papillomavirus type 27

Human papillomavirus type 27 (HPV-27) and HPV-2c are isolates of the same virus as judged by genomic sequence identity. In a 400-bp stretch of the long control region and the E6 and L1 genes no changes were found between HPV-27 and HPV-2c whereas 55 changes were found between HPV-27 and HPV-2a. This justifies the elevation of HPV-2c to type status and strongly suggests its identity with HPV-27. This reassessment makes HPV-27 one of the most abundant viruses associated with common warts.

Coevolution of papillomaviruses with human populations

The human papillomavirus types that are causally linked to genital cancer originated in ancient times in prehuman primates. The molecular diversity of viral isolates reflects the African origins and the subsequent worldwide spread of human races. The lack of transmission of papillomaviruses between species may support a gradual mode of molecular evolution.

The Mastomys natalensis papillomavirus: nucleotide sequence, genome organization, and phylogenetic relationship of a rodent papillomavirus involved in tumorigenesis of cutaneous epithelia

Mastomys natalensis is a rodent of African origin afflicted with a very high incidence of skin tumors (keratoacanthomas and squamous carcinomas), which are associated with a papillomavirus, M. natalensis papillomavirus (MnPV). We have determined the genomic sequence of MnPV, which has a size of 7687 bp. The genomic organization is similar to that of other papillomaviruses, with open reading frames E6, E7, E1, E2, and E4 in the early and L2 and L1 in the late region. Due to an unusually large hinge region, the transcriptional activator E2 has a size of 542 amino acids rather than 400 to 460 amino acids, as in other papillomaviruses. An open reading frame E5 coding for a small hydrophobic membrane protein is missing, as is the case for some cutaneous human papillomaviruses (HPV). This fact, together with the composition of cis-responsive elements in its long control region and phylogenetic evaluation of segments of its E6, E1, and L1 genes, indicates a relationship of MnPV to the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus and several HPV types found in lesions of cutaneous epithelia, in particular to those that are associated with epidermodysplasia verruciformis. MnPV may be a useful model system for tumorigenesis of cutaneous epithelia in humans.

Transcriptional control and cell type specificity of HPV gene expression

BACKGROUND

Papillomaviruses are of great medical interest as they are causally associated with benign and malignant neoplasia of mucosal and cutaneous epithelia. The viral genome can be viewed as a control unit that releases signals in form of transforming proteins in infected epithelial cells. These proteins create a molecular environment favorable for papillomavirus biology and an expanded cell population for multiplication of the virus. On the other side, the genome receives signals through cellular transcription factors.

OBSERVATIONS

Cellular transcription factors help the virus to identify the epithelial target cell, and they provide information about mitotic and physiologic signals to the epithelium and its differentiation state. Present research concentrates on the question how these distinct functions are brought about by factors that are ubiquitous rather than cell-type specific, such as NFI/CTF, TEF-1, AP-1, oct-1, and the progesterone receptor. Papillomaviruses have the additional capability to generate positive and negative feedback loops of gene expression through the virally encoded E2 proteins, a necessary tool to achieve long-term persistence.

CONCLUSIONS

An intricate interplay between cellular and viral transcription factors is a prerequisite for epithelial specificity, physiologic responses, and persistence of papillomavirus infections.

Sequence variants of human papillomavirus type 16 from couples suggest sexual transmission with low infectivity and polyclonality in genital neoplasia

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is causally involved in the pathogenesis of genital neoplasia, but important details of the natural history of infection and disease are not yet understood. Many individual HPV-16 DNA isolates differ by characteristic point mutations. In a study of the HPV-16 variants from genital lesions of 32 married couples, HPV-16 was detected in both the husband and the wife in 8 couples. Of these, 4 demonstrated identical HPV-16 variants between husband and wife, and 4 had mismatching HPV-16 variants. Five of 31 biopsies showed simultaneous presence of two different HPV-16 variants. The data suggest that sexual transmission of HPV-16 does occur, but with low infectivity, and that HPV-16-related premalignant lesions are frequently polyclonal.

Nuclear factor I and epithelial cell-specific transcription of human papillomavirus type 16

The transcription of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is mediated by the viral enhancer. Epithelial cell-specific activation is achieved by the cooperative interaction of apparently ubiquitous transcriptional factors. One of them, nuclear factor I (NFI), binds seven sites within the HPV-16 enhancer. Point mutations on enhancer fragments, which retain epithelial cell specificity, verify the functional contribution of NFI. In band shift experiments, the epithelial cell-derived NFI proteins CTF-1, CTF-2, and CTF-3 form a characteristic pattern of heterodimeric complexes which are observed in all epithelial cells tested. Divergence from this pattern in fibroblasts, liver cells, and lymphoid cells correlates with the lack of HPV-16 enhancer activation. The HPV-16 enhancer can be activated by CTF-1 in SL-2 cells, which lack NFI-like proteins. However, exogenous CTF-1 fails to overcome the inactivity of the viral enhancer in fibroblasts. Western immunoblot and supershift analysis shows that exogenously introduced CTF-1 proteins form different heterodimer complexes with the given subset of endogenous NFI proteins in epithelial or fibroblast cells. Polymerase chain reaction analysis and cDNA library screens identified the endogenous fibroblast type NFI as NFI-X, an NFI family member originally cloned from hamster liver cells. The strict correlation between the activation or lack of activation of the HPV-16 enhancer and cell-specific subsets of NFI proteins argues for the pivotal role of NFI binding sites in the epithelial cell-specific function of the viral enhancer.

Phylogenetic analysis of 48 papillomavirus types and 28 subtypes and variants: a showcase for the molecular evolution of DNA viruses

Papillomaviruses are attractive models for studying the molecular evolution of DNA viruses because of the large number of isolates that exhibit genomic diversity and host species and tissue specificity. To examine their relationship, we selected two amino acid sequences, one of 52 residues within the early gene E1 and the other of 44 residues within the late gene L1, which allowed insertion- and deletion-free alignment of all accessible papillomavirus sequences. We constructed phylogenetic trees from the amino acid and corresponding nucleotide sequences from 28 published and 20 newly determined animal and human papillomavirus (HPV) genomic sequences by using distance matrix, maximum-likelihood, and parsimony methods. The trees agreed in all important topological aspects. One major branch with two clearly separated clusters contained 11 HPV types associated with epidermodysplasia verruciformis. A second major branch had all the papillomaviruses involved in genital neoplasia and, in distant relationship, the cutaneous papillomaviruses HPV type 2a (HPV-2a), HPV-3, and HPV-10 as well as the "butcher's" papillomavirus HPV-7 and two simian papillomaviruses. Four artiodactyl (even-toed hoofed mammal) papillomaviruses, the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus, and avian (chaffinch) papillomavirus type 1 formed a third major branch. Last, four papillomaviruses exhibited little affinity to any of these three branches; these were the cutaneous types HPV-1a, HPV-4, and HPV-41 and B-group bovine papillomavirus type 4. The phylogeny suggests that some branches of papillomavirus evolution are restricted to particular target tissues and that a general process of long-term papillomavirus-host coevolution has occurred. This latter hypothesis is still conjectural because of bias in the current data base for human types and the paucity of animal papillomavirus sequences. The comparison of evolutionary distances for the most closely related types with those of 28 subtypes and variants of HPV-2, HPV-5, HPV-6, HPV-16, and HPV-18 supports the type as a natural taxonomic unit, with subtypes and variants being expressions of minor intratype genomic diversity similar to that found in the natural populations of all biological species. An exception to this seems to be HPV-2c, which has an evolutionary distance from HPV-2a of the intertype magnitude and may eventually have to be regarded as a distinct type. We describe an experimental approach that estimates the taxonomic and phylogenetic positions of newly identified papillomaviruses without viral isolation and complete genomic sequencing.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Patterns and implications of subclinical vulval human papillomavirus infection: the impact of PCR analysis

This study was performed to elucidate the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the vulva by colposcopy, histology and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Colposcopy defined 5 patterns of vulval epithelial lesions inconspicuous to the naked eye. Of these 75 subclinical vulval lesions, HPV infection was diagnosed by histology in 20.0% of minor epithelial changes with faint acetowhitening, 52.2% of conspicuous acetowhite lesions, 63.0% of acetowhite areas with satellite lesions, 84.6% of villous lesions, and 85.7% of villous lesions with surrounding acetowhitening. The corresponding HPV DNA positivity rates by PCR were 60.0%, 73.9%, 70.4%, 84.6% and 100% respectively. The oncogenic HPV type 16 was detected by PCR in 37.3% of the samples. These results provide firm evidence for the prevalent existence of subclinical HPV lesions of the vulva. Some of these infections may not produce significant morphologic changes detectable by colposcopy or histology. Subclinical vulval lesions are common and may constitute a reservoir for repeated cervical HPV infections, as well as a source of contamination of cervical samples for HPV DNA detection by sensitive molecular techniques.

During negative regulation of the human papillomavirus-16 E6 promoter, the viral E2 protein can displace Sp1 from a proximal promoter element

The principal early promoter of human papillomaviruses (HPVs), designated P97 in the case of HPV-16, contains four characteristically aligned cis-responsive elements, namely one binding site for Sp1, two for the viral E2 proteins, and the TATA box. The Sp1 binding site is needed to mediate activation of P97 by the remote epithelial-specific enhancer, and the two E2 binding sites contribute to a negative feedback-loop of viral gene expression. The Sp1 consensus motif and the TATA-box distal E2 binding site are spaced in all genital papillomaviruses by a single nucleotide. We show here that at physiological concentrations, the binding of E2 proteins and Sp1 are mutually exclusive events, since a bandshift analysis with nuclear extracts from ID13, a mouse cell line transformed by BPV-1, showed only the E2 or the Sp1 bandshift, but no complex indicative of the concomitant binding of both factors. Increasing concentrations of in vitro translated E2 protein compete efficiently with the Sp1 factor for binding to an oligonucleotide containing both binding sites. Interference between Sp1 and E2 protein binding is apparently relevant for P97 repression in vivo, since a mutational analysis revealed that both E2 binding sites are necessary for negative transcriptional regulation: Alone, neither the distal site, where E2 protein can induce Sp1 displacement, nor the proximal site, where E2 protein interferes with formation and function of the pre-initiation complex, have a significant effect, but two functional E2 binding sites lead to repression of P97.

The enhancer of human papillomavirus type 16: binding sites for the ubiquitous transcription factors oct-1, NFA, TEF-2, NF1, and AP-1 participate in epithelial cell-specific transcription

The enhancer of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is considered to be specific for epithelial cells, in particular for cervical carcinoma-derived cell lines. We reexamined this hypothesis with the complete enhancer as well as nonoverlapping subclones and found all clones to be active in epithelial cell lines derived from the epidermis and from carcinomas of the cervix, mammary gland, and colon, but inactive in fibroblast, lymphoma, and embryonal carcinoma cells. Although the virus infects only human mucosal epithelia, enhancer activity was independent of the exact type or of the species of origin of the transfected epithelial cell. In spite of epithelial cell specificity, we found that the activity of the HPV-16 enhancer varied strongly from a cytomegalovirus enhancer and the simian virus 40 enhancer in a cell line-dependent manner. This suggests varying quantitative contributions of enhancer elements rather than regulation by an all-or-none switch. Cell type specificity was maintained by a 91-bp subclone of the 400-bp enhancer. Most of the enhancer activity of this fragment was eliminated by alternative mutations in binding sites for the ubiquitous factors AP-1, nuclear factor 1 (NF1), or TEF-2. These three types of factors bind this 91-bp enhancer without cooperation, although activation appears to be synergistic. Outside the 91-bp fragment, a motif typical for papillomavirus enhancers, namely an octamerlike sequence flanked by an NF1-binding site, contributes to enhancer function, as the activity was strongly reduced upon its deletion. In HPV-16, this motif is bound by the oct-1 factor as well as by a probably novel factor, NFA, whereas a related motif of HPV-11 is recognized only by NFA. On examination, none of the five types of transcription factors involved in HPV enhancer activation was restricted to epithelial cells, but NF1, AP-1, and oct-1 were present in higher concentration in HeLa cells than in fibroblasts. Only NF1 showed some qualitative cell type-specific differences. We propose that the epithelial specificity of the HPV-16 enhancer is brought about via binding sites for supposed ubiquitous transcription factors. The mechanism of this activation apparently involves synergism between factors that vary in concentration and may include cell-specific functional differences residing outside the DNA-binding domain of these factors.

Sequence variants of human papillomavirus type 16 in clinical samples permit verification and extension of epidemiological studies and construction of a phylogenetic tree

Genomic variability between different viral isolates provides a powerful epidemiological tool for verifying ultrasensitive diagnostic procedures, understanding infectious pathways in individuals and human populations, and studying viral evolution. The potential of this approach has not yet been exploited for the diagnosis of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) like HPV type 16 (HPV-16), which are involved in genital cancer. Toward this end, we amplified by polymerase chain reaction, cloned, and sequenced a 364-bp noncoding segment of the HPV-16 genome from cell lines, cervical biopsy specimens, and cervical smears. The HPV-16 genomes in the cell lines SiHa and CaSki showed an identical point mutation, and in the SiHa cell line it had an additional 38-bp deletion. Only 4 of 22 cervical lesions biopsied from patients at several hospitals in Singapore contained HPV-16 DNA with the prototype sequence, while the DNAs of the other 18 cervical lesions differed by 1 to 10 mutations. This excludes contaminations with cloned HPV-16 DNA as the source of this DNA. To test whether this diversity was a geographic idiosyncrasy, we analyzed 25 cervical biopsy specimens from Brazil. Eight of these contained the prototype sequence, while 17 were mutated. Altogether, 11 genomic variants were found in the Singaporean samples and 12 genomic variants were found in the Brazilian samples, and only 5 of these occurred identically in both cohorts. All variants could be connected to form a phylogenetic tree, with some branches being specific for each cohort. This suggests that the variants did not originate over a short period in the individual patient but, rather, evolved consecutively while spreading throughout humankind.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diagnostic sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot hybridization for the detection of human papillomavirus DNA in biopsy specimens from cervical lesions

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are associated with benign and malignant neoplasms of the cervix. One of the criteria for their etiologic role requires an assessment of whether virtually all or only a small fraction of lesions contain viral genomes. DNA preparations from colposcopically directed punch biopsies of cervical lesions were analyzed by Southern blot hybridization and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of HPV DNA. The biopsy specimens represented different pathologic entities (koilocytosis, condyloma, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and invasive carcinoma). In Southern blot hybridization with radioactive probes for HPV 11, 16, 18, 31, and 33, HPV DNA was detected in 74% of the biopsy specimens (42 of 57 cases), with the predominant types being HPV 16 and HPV 18. In contrast, after PCR amplification with primers yielding fragments of characteristic size for HPV 11, 16, and 18, the analysis of the same 57 biopsy specimens revealed that all samples were positive for at least one HPV type. To exclude false-positive PCR results, controls without HPV DNA were interspersed at regular intervals, and results were evaluated only if these controls remained HPV negative. To exclude false-negative results due to failure of the reaction, a target sequence within the c-Ha-ras-1 gene was used as an internal control. All HPV typing results obtained by Southern blot hybridization were in agreement with HPV typing by PCR. The higher number of positive samples in the latter analysis stems from the increased sensitivity of PCR, which was which was effective in identifying as few as 10-100 HPV DNA molecules; in contrast, the sensitivity of Southern blot hybridization was 1 pg, or approximately 10(5) molecules of HPV DNA. The authors conclude that, with sufficiently sensitive diagnostic methods, HPV DNA can be detected in most, if not all, neoplastic cervical lesions.

Subclinical human papillomavirus infection of the male lower genital tract: colposcopy, histology and DNA analysis

In 25 partners of women with genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, colposcopic examination revealed the existence of subclinical HPV infection of the male lower genital tract in 22 cases. It manifested either as short papillae tipped with acetowhite changes, or flat acetowhite lesions on the foreskin, glans, periurethral region, scrotum, perineum and/or perianal region. Multiple lesions involving several anogenital areas were common. Some of these abnormalities were small and inconspicuous. Of these 22 cases, 17 had histological evidence of HPV infection. Although Southern blot hybridization detected HPV DNA in only one case, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed HPV DNA in 20 cases. There were 10 cases of HPV 16. Subclinical HPV disease is best identified by colposcopy and confirmed by PCR. In treating HPV disease, colposcopic recognition of subclinical HPV disease forms an essential part of the management plan.

Genital human papillomavirus infection among women from major ethnic groups in Singapore

The close epidemiological relationships between specific genital human papillomavirus (HPV) types and neoplasia of the cervix uteri have been extensively documented worldwide, including Singapore. Cervical cancer incidence rates in Singapore show variations between the major ethnic groups. To ascertain the corresponding HPV infection rates among the various races in Singapore, we analysed the cervical smears of 225 women by filter in situ DNA hybridization, and compared the data with a previous similar study. Fourteen (6.2%) individuals were HPV-positive, with HPV 16 and HPV 31 being the commonest types. No significant difference between HPV positivity rates in Chinese (5.0%) and in Malays (6.7%) was found, even though Chinese have a higher cervical cancer incidence than Malays. Furthermore, the cervical HPV carriage rate among women with normal cytology was 5.9%. In the light of reports of high genital HPV prevalence rates detected by DNA amplification, these data support the notion that HPV infection is commonly latent and requires the cooperation of other factors for cervical carcinogenesis.

Controls in the papillomavirus life cycle

Papillomaviruses cause neoplasia of epithelia and subepidermal fibroblasts which may progress to certain forms of malignancies. During the viral life cycle, papillomavirus genomes receive, process and generate signals. Transcription factors binding to their enhancer carry information about tissue specificity and hormonal regulation, while other factors in the cornified layer of the epidermis activate capsid protein production. Furthermore, products of the viral E2 and E1 genes constitute feedback signals that modulate viral transcription and replication. Proteins derived from the genes E5, E6 and E7 modulate cellular homeostasis so as to induce neoplatic transformation. A molecular understanding of these regulatory events may form a prerequisite for a causal therapy of papillomavirus-induced malignancies.

The E6/E7 promoter of human papillomavirus type 16 is activated in the absence of E2 proteins by a sequence-aberrant Sp1 distal element

The E6/E7 promoter of all genital human papillomaviruses is responsible for expression of the viral transforming genes. Centered 60 bp upstream of the transcription start, it contains a 20-bp segment with partially overlapping binding sites for the viral E2 proteins and for a cellular factor that was identified by footprint experiments. Bandshifts, bandshift competitions, and footprints revealed that protein complexes between nuclear extracts and these sequences have binding properties indistinguishable from those of the Sp1 factor that binds the simian virus 40 early promoter GC motif. Reactions of these complexes with anti-Sp1 antiserum were analyzed by superbandshifts and precipitation with protein A, and the results confirmed the identity of this transcription factor as Sp1. Sp1 binds in simian virus 40 and different human papillomavirus promoters the consensus sequence 5'-NGGNGN-3'. RNase protection analysis of in vitro or in vivo transcriptions with wild-type and mutant test vectors shows that the E6/E7 promoter of human papillomavirus type 16 is functionally dependent on the Sp1 distal promoter element. In all genital papillomaviruses, the Sp1 hexamer is invariably spaced by a single nucleotide from the distal E2 element, suggesting some precise interaction between Sp1 and E2 proteins. Published experimental evidence documents negative regulation of the E6/E7 promoter by E2 proteins through the proximal E2 element, whereas only minor quantitative differences in E6/E7 promoter function after cotransfection with E2 expression vectors were observed in this study. A detailed study of the interactions of Sp1 and E2 proteins with one another and with the corresponding three binding sites may reveal a complex modulation of this promoter.

Molecular diagnosis of genital HPV DNA types by polymerase chain reaction and sensitivity-standardized filter in situ hybridization in randomly sampled cohorts of Singapore women

Infection of the cervix uteri with various types of human papillomaviruses is generally considered a necessary factor in the etiology of cancer of the cervix uteri. In many human populations throughout the world, approximately 90% of cervical carcinomas are found to harbour HPV genomes, as judged by Southern blot hybridization, while only a few percent of the cervical smears of asymptomatic individuals contain viral DNA, as assessed by filter in situ hybridization. To obtain corresponding epidemiological data from Singapore, we analysed two groups of 740 and 130 individuals by filter in situ hybridization, and found 4.1% and 6.9% of them to be HPV positive, with HPV 16 and HPV 31 being the predominant types. In consideration of the limitations of filter in situ hybridization, namely low sensitivity and a tendency to suggest false positives due to contaminants, including blood, we analysed the cervical smears of two further groups of 52 and 50 individuals by the polymerase chain reaction for infection by HPV 16 and HPV 18 respectively. With this test, 61% and 14% of the cervical smears proved to be HPV 16 and HPV 18 DNA positive respectively. We conclude that in Singapore, if not worldwide, the majority of the population the population is infected by genital HPV types, suggesting that factors other than HPV infection are ultimately rate-limiting in cervical carcinogenesis.

Viruses and cancer, with particular focus on human papillomaviruses in neoplastic lesions of the cervix uteri

Oncogenic viruses serve as useful experimental tools and models of cellular transformation and cancer biology. Tumour virology has made enormous contributions towards the molecular elucidation of malignancy, especially in the concept of oncogenes and anti-oncogenes. Here we consider the criteria, mechanisms and co-factors of viral carcinogenesis. Some viruses associated with cancers in man and animals are reviewed, with special focus on the role of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in cervical cancer. Southern hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data demonstrating the presence of genital HPV types 11, 16, 18 and 31 in cervical neoplastic lesions from Singapore patients are presented. Sensitivity standardisation and specificity of the Southern and PCR techniques are emphasised. Common themes in viral oncology are highlighted, such as epidemiological associations; viral type, host and tissue specificities; transforming genetic elements; viral integration; and interaction with co-factors.

Transcription of the transforming genes of the oncogenic human papillomavirus-16 is stimulated by tumor promotors through AP1 binding sites

The promoter P97 of human papillomavirus-16 (HPV-16) gives rise to transcripts that encode the principal transforming genes of the virus, E6 and E7. The activity of P97 is regulated by a cell-type-specific enhancer, as well as by glucocorticoids and progesterone. We show here, that in CaSki cells, which contain HPV-16 genomes, P97 is also inducible by phorbol esters. Functional analysis of restriction fragments and oligonucleotides of the viral enhancer localizes two phorbol ester response elements on two transcription factor binding sites termed fp4e and fp9e. Sequence comparison, footprint analysis and bandshift competition of the cloned motifs suggest that both fp4e and fp9e are bound by the transcription factor AP1. These AP1 binding sites in HPV-16 and other papillomaviruses may provide a link between cellular oncogenes like jun, fos and possibly ras, whose transcription stimulating activity may lead to an elevated expression of the viral transforming genes E6 and E7.

Transcriptional activation of human papillomavirus 16 by nuclear factor I, AP1, steroid receptors and a possibly novel transcription factor, PVF: a model for the composition of genital papillomavirus enhancers

Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV-16), which is involved in genital carcinogenesis, contains an enhancer of transcription that is activated by cellular factors rather than by the viral E2 proteins. The activity resides on a 232 bp segment with 5 binding sites for nuclear factor 1 (NF1), 2 for AP1, and 1 for steroid receptors. Deletions and point mutations show that the constitutive enhancer and the steroid response depend on NF1 sites located 5' or 3' of a 65 bp fragment with AP1 sites that by itself shows little activity. Enhancement through a fragment with AP1 and NF1 sites is strongly reduced by mutation of the AP1 sites, or by mutation of the sequence AGGCACATAT. Sequence comparison and footprint analysis make it likely that this sequence binds a novel transcription factor which we call PVF. Fragments with one or several binding sites only for NF1, or AP1, or PVF exhibit little enhancement by themselves, suggesting the functional dependence of the HPV-16 enhancer on the cooperation of these factors. A comparison of our findings with the genomes and transcription factor binding sites of HPV-6, 11, 18, 31 and 33 lead us to propose a model of the composition of enhancers of genital papillomaviruses.

Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase-catalysed chain reaction for the detection of human papillomaviruses

To delineate the conditions for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers specific for human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6b, 16 and 18, a number of important technical features were analysed. Buffer, concentrations of magnesium, Taq polymerase, primers and DNA templates, annealing temperature, and extension time were studied by a combination of gel electrophoresis, Southern and slot-blot hybridization. Amplification of E6 gene fragments of HPV-16 and HPV-18 generated bands of 110 bp and 154 bp respectively, as predicted. However, amplification of a segment within the long control region of HPV 6b yielded an unexpected size of 340 bp. Different conditions were found for each HPV type-specific primer pair. These results, and the applications of PCR in HPV research and in an increasingly wide range of fields in medical virology are discussed.