title: Identification and location of human papillomavirus type 16 antisense early promoter and characterisation of antisense RNA.
abstract: Antisense RNA sequences of various regions of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV 16) were previously found in a number of cervical lesions, but the viral or cellular promoter has not been identified. HPV 16 E7 oncogene antisense transcripts expressed from an antisense promoter in viral DNA were found in the present study by RNase protection assays for total and cytoplasmic RNA. The antisense promoter for these transcripts was located within HPV 16 nt 4030-4230 by deletion analyses. The results also suggested that most of the antisense RNA was relatively short. The antisense promoter of HPV 16 was functional for expression of antisense RNA of a heterologous gene. Antisense-sense double-stranded E7 RNA was detected, and the sense RNA of this duplex was apparently inefficient for splicing or cleavage/poly(A) addition. These results show that HPV 16 can produce early region antisense RNA, which is from a promoter within a defined region of the viral genome. The possible importance of these transcripts for the regulation of episomal HPV 16 gene expression in infected and premalignant lesions and the possible importance of their deregulation for expression in malignant lesions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Belaguli
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pater
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pater
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D006801:Humans; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded
chemical_list: D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16