The Human Papillomavirus E6 Oncogene Represses a Cell Adhesion Pathway and Disrupts Focal Adhesion through Degradation of TAp63β upon Transformation
2011

HPV E6 Oncogene Disrupts Cell Adhesion Pathway

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Author Information

Author(s): Ben Khalifa Youcef, Teissier Sébastien, Tan Meng-Kwang, Marcus Phan, Quang Tien Daynac, Mathieu Wong Wei Qi, Thierry Françoise

Primary Institution: Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore

Hypothesis

The HPV E6 oncogene degrades TAp63β to repress cell adhesion.

Conclusion

The study identifies TAp63β as a critical regulator of cell adhesion that is targeted for degradation by the HPV E6 oncogene, contributing to cervical cancer progression.

Supporting Evidence

  • Repression of E6/E7 transcription activates a large set of p63 target genes.
  • TAp63β is the only p63 isoform suppressed by E6 in cervical carcinoma.
  • E6 induces accelerated degradation of TAp63β, leading to decreased cell adhesion.
  • Repression of E6/E7 stabilizes TAp63β and increases focal adhesions in cervical carcinoma cells.

Takeaway

The HPV virus can make cells grow uncontrollably by breaking down a protein that helps them stick together, which is important for normal cell behavior.

Methodology

Microarray analyses and siRNA silencing were used to study the effects of HPV E6 on TAp63β and cell adhesion pathways in cervical carcinoma cells.

Limitations

The study primarily focuses on cervical carcinoma cell lines and may not fully represent other cancer types.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.01

Statistical Significance

p<0.01

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.ppat.1002256

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