title: Transcriptional activity among high and low risk human papillomavirus E2 proteins correlates with E2 DNA binding.
abstract: The full-length E2 protein, encoded by human papillomaviruses (HPVs), is a sequence-specific transcription factor found in all HPVs, including cancer-causing high risk HPV types 16 and 18 and wart-inducing low risk HPV types 6 and 11. To investigate whether E2 proteins encoded by high risk HPVs may function differentially from E2 proteins encoded by low risk HPVs and animal papillomaviruses, we conducted comparative DNA-binding and transcription studies using electrophoretic mobility shift assays and cell-free transcription systems reconstituted with purified general transcription factors, cofactor, RNA polymerase II, and with E2 proteins encoded by HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-11, and bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1). We found that although different types of E2 proteins all exhibited transactivation and repression activities, depending on the sequence context of the E2-binding sites, HPV-16 E2 shows stronger transcription activity and greater DNA-binding affinity than those displayed by the other E2 proteins. Surprisingly, HPV-18 E2 behaves more similarly to BPV-1 E2 than HPV-16 E2 in its functional properties. Our studies thus categorize HPV-18 E2 and BPV-1 E2 in the same protein family, a finding consistent with the available E2 structural data that separate the closely related HPV-16 and HPV-18 E2 proteins but classify together the more divergent BPV-1 and HPV-18 E2 proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4935, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Shwu-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052688:Bovine papillomavirus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C117355:E2 protein, Human papillomavirus type 11; C054855:E2 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; C069102:oncogene protein E2, Human papillomavirus type 18; D004247:DNA