title: Comparative transforming potential of different human papillomaviruses associated with non-melanoma skin cancer.
abstract: It is well established that high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) that infect mucosal epithelia are the causative agents of cervical cancer. In contrast, the association of cutaneo-tropic HPV types with the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is less well defined. In this study, we have analysed the in vitro transforming potential of various cutaneous HPV types. Using oncogene cooperation assays with activated ras, we have shown that diverse cutaneous types, including 12, 14, 15, 24, 36 and 49, have significant transforming potential. Interestingly, most of this activity appears to be encoded by the E6 gene product. In contrast, the common HPV-10 exhibits no significant transforming potential in these assays. This difference may be a reflection of different patterns of cellular localization, with transforming E6s being nuclear and non-transforming being cytoplasmic. These results provide molecular support for a role of these viruses in the development of certain human malignancies.
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, I-34012 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massimi
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bouvard
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruberto
authors.forename: M Saveria
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tommasino
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Banks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D006801:Humans; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D051381:Rats; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000821:virology; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral