title: Papillomavirus E6 proteins.
abstract: The papillomaviruses are small DNA viruses that encode approximately eight genes, and require the host cell DNA replication machinery for their viral DNA replication. Thus papillomaviruses have evolved strategies to induce host cell DNA synthesis balanced with strategies to protect the cell from unscheduled replication. While the papillomavirus E1 and E2 genes are directly involved in viral replication by binding to and unwinding the origin of replication, the E6 and E7 proteins have auxillary functions that promote proliferation. As a consequence of disrupting the normal checkpoints that regulate cell cycle entry and progression, the E6 and E7 proteins play a key role in the oncogenic properties of human papillomaviruses with a high risk of causing anogenital cancers (HR HPVs). As a consequence, E6 and E7 of HR HPVs are invariably expressed in cervical cancers. This article will focus on the E6 protein and its numerous activities including inactivating p53, blocking apoptosis, activating telomerase, disrupting cell adhesion, polarity and epithelial differentiation, altering transcription and reducing immune recognition.
authors.affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109-1024, USA.
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Howie
authors.forename: Rachel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Katzenellenbogen
authors.forename: Denise A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Galloway
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016764:Cell Polarity; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019098:Telomerase; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins