Review article

The transforming properties of human papillomavirus oncoproteins

MAGDALENA GRCE orcid.org/0000-0001-6178-8418 ; Department of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
IVAN SABOL orcid.org/0000-0002-5753-8528 ; Department of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
NINA MILUTIN GAŠPEROV ; 1_Department of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; 2_Croatian Academy of Science and Arts, Department of Medical Sciences, Zrinski trg 11, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are very common viruses, often causing
benign epithelial lesions but, rarely, also cancer. Only long persistent infection
with some carcinogenic or high risk HPV types will progress to
high-grade lesions and finally cancer. The oncogenic potential of these HR
HPV types relies on the role of their major oncoproteins E6 and E7, which
bind, inactivate and degrade the two major cellular tumor-suppressor gene
products, p53 and the retinoblastoma tumor-suppressor protein (pRb),
respectively. The continuous expression of these early oncoproteins can lead
to the transformation and immortalization of infected cells. Both, E6 and
E7 co-operate to induce transformation of epithelial cells by interacting
with numerous host cell proteins affecting many essential cellular pathways.
Herein, the current knowledge on HPV E6 and E7, as well as on the
auxiliary E5 oncoprotein is summarized.

Keywords

human papillomavirus; HPV; oncogene; oncoprotein

Hrčak ID:

101208

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/101208

Publication date:

30.9.2012.

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