HPV-2 isolates from patients with huge verrucae vulgaris possess stronger promoter activities.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the influences of the mutations within the long control region (LCR) and E2 open reading frame (ORF) of the human papillomavirus-2 (HPV-2) isolates from patients with extensive verrucae vulgaris with cutaneous horns in the activities of the viral early promoters.


METHODS
A PCR method was applied for screening HPV DNA in the lesion specimens and the complete HPV-2 genomes was analyzed. Recombinant CAT-reporter plasmids containing various HPV-2 LCRs and mammalian expression plasmids containing E2 ORF were constructed. The promoter activity was evaluated by transient transfection.


RESULTS
The whole HPV-2 genomes were obtained from both patients. Several mutations in LCR and mutations leading to alterations of amino acids in E2 protein were identified in isolate-1, while a few point mutations in LCR were seen in isolate-2. Under the control of LCRs, the viral early promoter activities of isolate-1 and isolate-2 were increased 3- and 2-fold, respectively. Alterations of amino acids in E2 protein of isolate-1 partially abolished its promoter repressive activity. Compared with that of prototype HPV-2, the promoter activity of isolate-1 in the presence of its E2-expressing plasmid was significantly increased.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased promoter activities might be linked, at least partially, to the clinical phenotypes of the uncommon huge verrucae vulgaris.
Lei
Yan-Jun
YJ
School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiao-Tong University, Xi'an, China.
Wang
Chen
C
Gao
Chen
C
Jiang
Hui-Ying
HY
Chen
Jian-Ming
JM
Han
Jun
J
Yuan
Yu-Kang
YK
Dong
Xiao-Ping
XP
D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics; D019677:Artificial Gene Fusion; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014860:Warts / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase