Mechanism of human papillomavirus latent infection via regulation of phosphoinositide dynamics

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K09682
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56040:Obstetrics and gynecology-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Infectious Diseases
• Principal Investigator: KUKIMOTO Iwao 国立感染症研究所, 病原体ゲノム解析研究センター, 室長 (70291127)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 佐々木 雄彦 東京医科歯科大学, 難治疾患研究所, 教授 (50333365)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ヒトパピローマウイルス / ホスホイノシチド / PTEN / 子宮頸癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To clarify the involvement of the phosphoinositide signaling pathway in HPV genome maintenance, we examined the functional relationship between the HPV replication protein E1 and PTEN, a PIP3 phosphatase, and found that transient expression of E1 reduced the intracellular levels of PTEN. Expression of PTEN also suppressed HPV genome replication. On the other hand, expression of E1 did not alter the levels of intracellular phosphoinositide species. Since PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene that is mutated or deleted in many cancer types, E1-induced reduction of PTEN may be involved in HPV-associated carcinogenesis.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒトパピローマウイルス（HPV）の持続感染は子宮頸癌の原因であり、HPVゲノムの維持複製機構を解明することは、HPVによる発癌の分子機構の理解につながる。本研究の成果が子宮頸癌の新たな治療・予防法の開発に結びつくことが期待される。