Role of HPV16 E7/SRC-1 interaction in viral oncogenesis

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs), including HPV16, are present in nearly all cervical carcinomas. However, not all women with high-risk HPVs develop cervical cancer. Although there is evidence for synergism between steroid hormones and HPV in the induction and progression of cervical neoplasia, the molecular mechanism is unknown. Preliminary evidence shows that the HPV16 E7 oncoprotein can interact with a component of steroid hormone signaling, steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1). This proposal aims to characterize this interaction by mutant mapping, coimmunoprecipitation and reporter assays. Changes in the components and activity of the SRC-1 complex by expression of E7 will be determined using an SRC-1 interaction array and histone modification assays. Lastly, initial studies suggest that E7 re-localizes SRC-1 to the cytoplasm, the mechanism for which will be determined. We propose that HPV16 E7 dysregulates hormone-dependent gene expression through its interaction with SRC-1, and is subsequently the molecular mechanism by which steroid hormones act as a cofactor in the induction of cervical neoplasia. These studies will further the understanding of how viral proteins interact with cellular factors to induce cancer. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]