Nucleolin as activator of human papillomavirus type 18 oncogene transcription in cervical cancer.
High risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are central to the development of cervical cancer and the deregulated expression of high risk HPV oncogenes is a critical event in this process. Here, we find that the cell protein nucleolin binds in a sequence-specific manner to the HPV18 enhancer. The DNA binding activity of nucleolin is primarily S phase specific, much like the transcription of the E6 and E7 oncoproteins of HPV18 in cervical cancer cells. Antisense inactivation of nucleolin blocks E6 and E7 oncogene transcription and selectively decreases HPV18(+) cervical cancer cell growth. Furthermore, nucleolin controls the chromatin structure of the HPV18 enhancer. In contrast, HPV16 oncogene transcription and proliferation rates of HPV16(+) SiHa cervical cancer cells are independent of nucleolin activity. Moreover, nucleolin expression is altered in HPV18(+) precancerous and cancerous tissue from the cervix uteri. Whereas nucleolin was homogeneously distributed in the nuclei of normal epithelial cells, it showed a speckled nuclear phenotype in HPV18(+) carcinomas. Thus, the host cell protein nucleolin is directly linked to HPV18-induced cervical carcinogenesis.
Grinstein
Edgar
E
Institut für Transplantationsdiagnostik und Zelltherapeutika, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Germany.
Wernet
Peter
P
Snijders
Peter J F
PJ
Rösl
Frank
F
Weinert
Inge
I
Jia
Wentao
W
Kraft
Regine
R
Schewe
Christiane
C
Schwabe
Michael
M
Hauptmann
Steffen
S
Dietel
Manfred
M
Meijer
Chris J L M
CJ
Royer
Hans-Dieter
HD
D001483:Base Sequence; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D009857:Oncogenes; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D000097796:Nucleolin
D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D000097796:Nucleolin