Transcriptional control of human papillomavirus type 18 oncogene expression in different cell lines: Role of transcription factor YY1

Binding of YY1 to the proximal fragment of the human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV-18) upstream regulatory region (URR) activates the oncogene expression of HPV-18 in HeLa cells, whereas in HepG2 cells this expression is repressed by YY1. In the present transient transfection study, we analyze the regulation of the HPV-18 URR by YY1 in an extended number of cell lines. Except for HeLa cells, YY1 represses or does not influence oncogene expression in all cell lines tested. In HeLa cells the activation of viral oncogene expression by YY1 is caused by the functional interplay between YY1 and a factor binding to the newly identified “switch region” of the HPV-18 URR. In this work we show that in HeLa cells, a 22 bp region located between the “switch region” and the promoter proximal fragment contributes to the modulation of the activity of YY1 and, in addition, regulates HPV-18 promoter activity independently of YY1.     

硒化合物诱导高危型HPV亚型宫颈癌细胞凋亡

目的探讨二氧化硒(SeO_2)对高危型HPV亚型宫颈癌细胞凋亡的诱导作用及其分子途径。方法不同浓度SeO_2分别作用于高危型HPV亚型宫颈癌细胞He La(HPV18+)和Caski(HPV16+)24 h,光学显微镜下观察细胞形态;四甲基偶氮唑蓝(MTT)比色法检测细胞增殖及活力;流式细胞计量术(FCM)检测细胞凋亡率;Western blot测定细胞内caspase-3和p53蛋白表达;Stem-loop实时定量PCR检测凋亡相关miRNA LET-7a表达。结果 SeO_2作用后宫颈癌细胞变圆、皱缩;SeO_2呈量效依赖关系抑制宫颈癌细胞增殖,其中He La细胞在7.5~30μmol/L组抑制作用显著;Caski细胞在SeO_2低浓度组即有显著抑制作用(P0.05)。宫颈癌细胞凋亡率亦随SeO_2浓度升高而升高,在Caski细胞上升更加明显。SeO_2可明显上调宫颈癌细胞系中caspase-3与p53蛋白水平,在He La细胞中二者均于7.5μmol/L处达到峰值。Caski细胞从7.5μmol/L组开始凋亡蛋白表达量显著性升高(P0.05)。SeO_2还可显著上调两细胞系实验组细胞LET-7a表达水平,且均在7.5μmol/L处出现峰值。结论 SeO_2通过上调高危型HPV亚型宫颈癌细胞中凋亡相关蛋白p53蛋白及miRNA LET-7a的表达,经caspase-3途径诱导细胞凋亡。对于SeO_2诱导宫颈癌细胞凋亡,HPV16+型较HPV18+型宫颈癌细胞更为敏感。     

人乳头瘤病毒16型E＿6E＿7基因反义质粒对人宫颈癌细胞恶性的逆转作用

构建可为地塞米松诱导表达的人乳头瘤病毒１６型（ＨＰＶ－１６）Ｅ＿６Ｅ＿７基因反义质粒（ｐ１６ａｓＥ＿６Ｅ＿７Ｎｅｏ），利用磷酸钙沉淀法将其分别转染到ＨＰＶ－１６阳性的人宫颈癌细胞株Ｃａｓｋｉ和ＨＰＶ阴性的人宫颈癌细胞株Ｃ－３３Ａ中。地塞米松诱导反义质粒表达后，ＣａｓＫｉ细胞失去其恶性表型，而Ｃ－３３Ａ细胞的生长特性及恶性行为未发生变化。说明反义质粒能够改变Ｃａｓｋｉ细胞的恶性表型，且这种改变是通过特异性抑制Ｅ＿６Ｅ＿７基因表达实现的。     

Presence and expression of human papillomavirus sequences in human cervical carcinoma cell lines.

A series of human carcinoma cell lines was examined for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA sequences with the use of HPV-6, HPV-11, HPV-16, and HPV-18 DNA probes. Six of eight cell lines derived from human cervical carcinomas were shown to contain integrated HPV DNA sequences. In five of these six lines, HPV-specific polyadenylated RNA species could also be identified. The expression of HPV sequences was detected in three lines with a HPV-18 DNA probe and in two lines with a HPV-16 DNA probe. Of the two lines which contained HPV-16 specific RNA, one contained HPV DNA sequences which hybridized only to an HPV-16 probe, and the other contained HPV DNA sequences which hybridized to both HPV-16 and HPV-18 DNA probes. Six cell lines established from human squamous-cell carcinomas of the bladder, pharynx, lung, esophagus, and vulva were negative for HPV-6, HPV-11, HPV-16, and HPV-18 DNA sequences under stringent hybridization conditions.     

Activation of the interleukin-32 pro-inflammatory pathway in response to human papillomavirus infection and over-expression of interleukin-32 controls the expression of the human papillomavirus oncogene

High-risk variants of human papillomavirus (HPV) induce cervical cancer by persistent infection, and are regarded as the principal aetiological factor in this malignancy. The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-32 (IL-32) is present at substantial levels in cervical cancer tissues and in HPV-positive cervical cancer cells. In this study, we identified the mechanism by which the high-risk HPV-16 E7 oncogene induces IL-32 expression in cervical cancer cells. We used antisense transfection, over-expression, or knock-down of IL-32 to assess the effects of the HPV-16 E7 oncogene on IL-32 expression in cervical cancer cells. Cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor treatment was conducted, and the expression levels, as well as the promoter activities, of IL-32 and COX-2 were evaluated in human HPV-positive cervical cancer cell lines. E7 antisense treatment reduced the expression levels and promoter activities of COX-2, which is constitutively expressed in HPV-infected cells. Constitutively expressed IL-32 was also inhibited by E7 antisense treatment. Moreover, IL-32 expression was blocked by the application of the selective COX-2 inhibitor, NS398, whereas COX-2 over-expression resulted in increased IL-32 levels. These results show that the high-risk variant of HPV induces IL-32 expression via E7-mediated COX-2 stimulation. However, E7 and COX-2 were down-regulated in the IL-32γ over-expressing cells and recovered by IL-32 small interfering RNA, indicating that E7 and COX-2 were feedback-inhibited by IL-32γ in cervical cancer cells.     

Trans-regulation and differential cell specificity of human papillomavirus types 16, 18, and 11 cis-acting elements

The noncoding region (ncr) of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18, and 11 contains promoter and/or enhancer function. We have localized the sequence containing the constitutive enhancers of HPV types 16, 18, and 11 to 315, 230, and 213 bp fragments, respectively, for comparative studies. The region of homology shared between the enhancers of the three viruses is limited to the sequence ATTTTTGGCTT, which is also present in the ncr of HPV 6b and 33. We have also examined the enhancer activity of the HPV ncrs in three human cervical carcinoma cell lines, one noncervical human carcinoma cell line, and one monkey kidney established cell line. We observed cell-specific differences in the constitutive expression of the enhancers in the various cell lines. The conditional enhancer activity of the ncr of the viruses is increased in trans by the E2 gene product of HPV 16. Transactivation by E2 is mediated through the E2 binding motif on HPV enhancer plasmids with a heterologous but not with a homologous promoter. Our preliminary studies also indicate a repressor function for the E7 gene of HPV 16.     

Cervical keratinocytes containing stably replicating extrachromosomal HPV-16 are refractory to transformation by oncogenic H-Ras

Ras expression in human epithelial cells with integrated HPV genomes has been shown to cause tumorigenic transformation. The effects of Ras in cells representing early stage HPV-associated disease (i.e., when HPV is extrachromosomal and the oncogenes are under control of native promoters) have not been examined. Here, we used human cervical keratinocyte cell lines containing stably replicating extrachromosomal HPV-16 and present the novel finding that these cells resist transformation by oncogenic H-Ras. Ras expression consistently diminished anchorage-independent growth (AI), reduced E6 and E7 expression, and caused p53 induction in these cells. Conversely, AI was enhanced or maintained in Ras-transduced cervical cells that were immortalized with a 16E6/E7 retrovirus, and minimal effects on E6 and E7 expression were observed. Ras expression with either episomal HPV-16 or LXSN-E6/E7 was insufficient for tumorigenic growth suggesting that other events are needed for tumorigenic transformation. In conclusion, our results indicate that Ras-mediated transformation depends on the context of HPV oncogene expression and that this is an important point to address when developing HPV tumor models.     

Primary human cervical carcinoma cells require human papillomavirus E6 and E7 expression for ongoing proliferation

Repression of human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 and E7 oncogenes in established cervical carcinoma cell lines causes senescence due to reactivation of cellular tumor suppressor pathways. Here, we determined whether ongoing expression of HPV16 or HPV18 oncogenes is required for the proliferation of primary human cervical carcinoma cells in serum-free conditions at low passage number after isolation from patients. We used an SV40 viral vector expressing the bovine papillomavirus E2 protein to repress E6 and E7 in these cells. To enable efficient SV40 infection and E2 gene delivery, we first incubated the primary cervical cancer cells with the ganglioside GM1, a cell-surface receptor for SV40 that is limiting in these cells. Repression of HPV in primary cervical carcinoma cells caused them to undergo senescence, but the E2 protein had little effect on HPV-negative primary cells. These data suggest that E6 and E7 dependence is an inherent property of human cervical cancer cells.     

特异siRNA抑制宫颈癌细胞中人乳头状瘤病毒16型E6表达的研究

目的 优化HPV-16 E6癌基因特异的U6质粒表达的siRNA，抑制HPV癌基因表达及其对子宫颈癌细胞生长繁殖的影响。方法 选择4个分别针对HPV-16 E6 mRNA外显子和内含子序列为靶序列，合成DNA链，构建表达HPV-16 E6短发卡样dsRNA的重组pSilencer1．0-U6载体，导入HPV-16DNA阳性的宫颈癌细胞株CaSki中，观察该细胞中HPV-16 E6、E7基因表达水平及其蛋白含量的变化，并观察细胞生长被抑制的情况。结果 4种HPV-16 E6 siRNA均能降低宫颈癌细胞CaSki的生长速率。通过细胞生长曲线观察到HPV-16 E6 shRNA表达质粒导入细胞0-96h内，可降低细胞生长速度。荧光定量RT-PCR检测HPV-16 E6 siRNA可使宫颈癌细胞株CaSki中HPV-16 E6、E7基因转录的mRNA水平降低，其中针对E6 mRNA内含子的重组shRNA只抑制E6基因的表达水平。Western blot分析表明，4个HPV-16 E6 siRNA作用72h后，未能检测到宫颈癌细胞中HPV-16 E6蛋白。结论 HPV-16 E6 siRNA能使宫颈癌细胞CaSki生长缓慢；选择针对E6内含子的siRNA作用位点，特异性抑制E6表达；而针对E6外显子的siRNA作用位点，可抑制E6和E7基因的表达，是用于治疗HPV阳性宫颈癌细胞的理想靶位。     

西多福韦对人宫颈癌细胞CaSki内人乳头瘤病毒16抑制作用研究

目的从抗病毒角度探讨西多福韦对宫颈癌细胞 CaSki内人乳头瘤病毒16（HPV16）的抑制作用及对细胞周期的影响。方法用 MTT法检测西多福韦对细胞的毒性;用实时定量 PCR法检测其对病毒 E6、E7 mRNA水平的影响;用 Western blot方法检测其对病毒蛋白 E6、E7和细胞抑癌蛋白 p53、pRb表达水平的影响;用流式细胞法检测其对宫颈癌细胞周期的影响。结果西多福韦对宫颈癌细胞毒性较正常细胞大。可使HPV16阳性宫颈癌细胞 CaSki内 E6、E7 mRNA和蛋白水平降低,最大抑制率分别为（33.38±8.00）%、（28.32±2.73）%和98.92%、97.46%;可以使 p53、pRb蛋白水平升高,最大浓度时可以上调12.06和3.53倍;对 HPV16阴性宫颈癌细胞 C-33A p53蛋白表达无影响,但可提高 pRb蛋白水平;可导致 CaSki和 C-33A细胞发生 S期阻滞,最高浓度组细胞相对对照组 S期分别增加22.83%和67.64%。结论西多福韦可以在对细胞无毒的浓度下,抑制宫颈癌细胞内的 HPV16,诱导宫颈癌细胞发生 S期阻滞。     

The prevalence of HPV-18 and variants of E6 gene isolated from cervical cancer patients in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. It has been considered that human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with cervical cancer. Currently, more than 80 different serotypes of HPV have been characterized and they are divided into low- and high-risk groups. The most common types that lead to cervical cancer are HPV-16 and -18. The viral oncogenes E6 and E7 are associated with the development of cervical cancer. In previous study, the variants of HPV-16 E6 gene have been reported. It suggests that variants may influence the morbidity of carcinogenesis, but the variant study on HPV-18 remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To identify the variants of integrated HPV-18 E6 gene in the prevalent infection of HPV-18 of cervical cancer patients. STUDY DESIGN: 25 cervical cancer patients were clinically identified and the biopsies were obtained. The infectious HPV types were identified by PCR and Southern blotting analysis. The DNA fragments of the integrated HPV-18 E6 were amplified by PCR and cloned. The nucleotide sequences were obtained by sequencing. RESULTS: The prevalence of HPV infection in our 25 cases was HPV-18 (100%) and 7 out of these 25 cases (28%) were co-infected with HPV-16. The most dominant mutation among 25 tested patients was a silence mutation C183G of the E6 coding region. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalent HPV infectious serotype is HPV-18, which differs from the worldwide prevalent type. The identified HPV-18 E6 variants had a unique silence mutation located on C183G in E6 coding region.     

Comparison of the basal and glucocorticoid-inducible activities of the upstream regulatory regions of HPV18 and HPV31 in multiple epithelial cell lines

Steroid hormone receptors have been shown to bind to response elements in the upstream regulatory region (URR) of human papillomavirus (HPV) in a ligand-dependent manner to affect viral promoter activity. To better understand how the enhancer activity of the URR differs between high risk HPV types, we chose to compare the basal and glucocorticoid-dependent activities of the URRs of HPV18 and HPV31. We found that the URR of HPV18 is a stronger enhancer than the URR of HPV31 in six different cell lines of epithelial origin. Furthermore, the activity of the URR of HPV31 was not inducible by the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (dex) in any cell line tested, while the URR of HPV18 was dex-inducible in the majority of these lines. These studies indicate significant differences between the URRs of high risk HPV types.     

Up-regulation of HLA class-I antigen expression and antigen-specific CTL response in cervical cancer cells by the demethylating agent hydralazine and the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid

Background

DNA hypermethylation and histone deacetylation are epigenetic events that contribute to the absence or downregulated expression of different components of the tumor recognition complex. These events affect the processing and presentation of antigenic peptides to CTLs by HLA class-I molecules. In this work evaluated the effect of the DNA hypomethylating agent hydralazine and the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid, on the expression of HLA class-I molecules and on the antigen-specific immune recognition of cervical cancer cells.

Methods

Cell lines C33A (HPV-), CaSki (HPV-16+) and MS751 (HPV-18+) were treated with hydralazine and valproic acid to assess the expression of HLA class-I molecules by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. Promoter methylation of HLA class-I -A, -B and C, was also evaluated by Methylation-Specific PCR. Primary cervical tumors of four HLA-A*0201 allele patients were typed for HPV and their CTL's stimulated in vitro with the T2 cell line previously loaded with 50 μM of the HPV peptides. Cytotoxicity of stimulated CTL's was assayed against Caski and MS751 cells pre-treated with hydralazine and valproic acid.

Results

Valproic acid and hydralazine/valproic acid up-regulated the constitutive HLA class-I expression as evaluated by flow cytometry and RT-PCR despite constitutive promoter demethylation at these loci. Hydralazine and valproic acid in combination but no IFN-gamma hyperacetylated histone H4 as evaluated by ChiP assay. The antigenic immune recognition of CaSki and MS751 cells by CTLs specific to HPV-16/18 E6 and E7-derived epitopes, was increased by VA and H/VA and the combination of H/VA/IFN-gamma.

Conclusion

These results support the potential use of hydralazine and valproic acid as an adjuvant for immune intervention in cervical cancer patients whenever clinical protocols based on tumor antigen recognition is desirable, like in those cases where the application of E6 and E7 based therapeutic vaccines is used.