title: The HPV-activating cellular transcription factor Brn-3a is overexpressed in CIN3 cervical lesions.
abstract: The cervical cellular transcription factors Brn-3a and Brn-3b have antagonistic effects on transcription of the human papilloma virus types 16 and 18 E6 and E7 oncogenes, with Brn-3a activating expression and Brn-3b repressing it. We therefore measured expression of Brn-3a and Brn-3b mRNAs in biopsies from 16 women with no detectable cervical abnormality, and in 14 women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) lesions. Although the mean level of Brn-3b expression was similar in both groups, the mean level of Brn-3a expression was over 300-fold higher in the CIN3 samples when compared with normals. Elevated expression of Brn-3a was also detected in 16 histologically normal regions of the cervix adjacent to the CIN3 lesions, indicating that elevation of Brn-3a levels is not confined to the lesion in women with CIN3, and is thus not a consequence of the oncogenic process. The elevated levels of Brn-3a in the CIN3 patient samples, together with the activating effect of Brn-3a on HPV-16 and -18 oncogene expression, suggest that induction of this factor is involved in activating HPV-16 and -18 oncogene expression in the cervix, and hence in the production of cervical cancers induced by HPV.
authors.affiliation: Windeyer Institute of Medical Sciences, University College London Medical School, The Windeyer Building, Cleveland Street, London W1P 6DB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ndisdang
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Latchman
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D009857:Oncogenes; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050818:Transcription Factor Brn-3; D050819:Transcription Factor Brn-3A; D050820:Transcription Factor Brn-3B; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C494188:POU4F1 protein, human; C494190:POU4F2 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D050818:Transcription Factor Brn-3; D050819:Transcription Factor Brn-3A; D050820:Transcription Factor Brn-3B; D014157:Transcription Factors