Human papillomavirus type 16 oncoprotein E7 suppresses cadherin-mediated cell adhesion via ERK and AP-1 signaling

Int J Oncol. 2009 Aug;35(2):309-14.

Abstract

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are the main etiological factor for cervical carcinoma. HPV-16 is the most prevalent high-risk HPV-genotype found in HPV-associated cancers. We studied the effect of HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein on cadherin-mediated cell adhesion. The expression of E7 strongly suppressed the cadherin-mediated cell adhesion in the rat fibroblast cell line 3Y1. This suppression was associated with the decreased expression of N-cadherin at the transcriptional level. The treatment of 3Y1 cells that express E7 (E7-3Y1) with MEK inhibitor recovered the cadherin-mediated cell adhesion together with the accumulation of N-cadherin at the cell-cell contact site. Moreover, the suppression of c-Jun, which is the element of AP-1 transcriptional factor, leads to the recovery of N-cadherin expression and cadherin-mediated cell adhesion in E7-3Y1 cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that E7 regulates cadherin-mediated cell adhesion through the modulation of cadherin expression via the MEK-ERK and AP-1 signaling pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cadherins / physiology*
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cell Line
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral / physiology*
  • Papillomavirus E7 Proteins
  • Rats
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / physiology*

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral
  • Papillomavirus E7 Proteins
  • Transcription Factor AP-1
  • oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases