The human papillomavirus type 16 E7 gene encodes transactivation and transformation functions similar to those of adenovirus E1A

Clinical and epidemiological data have implicated the human papillomaviruses (HPVs) as having an etiologic role in some anogenital malignancies, with HPV-16 being most frequently (>60%) detected in cervical carcinoma. HPV-16 is actively transcribed in the cancers; the most abundant transcripts map to the E6 and E7 early open reading frames. Evidence is presented that the HPV-16 E7 open reading frame encodes transcriptional transactivation and cellular transformation functions analogous to those of adenovirus E1A proteins. Specifically, the HPV-16 E7 gene product could transactivate the adenovirus E2 promoter and cooperate with an activated ras oncogene to transform primary baby rat kidney cells. The E7 transforming function differed somewhat from that of adenovirus E1A in that E7 was also able to transform established mouse cells. Examination of the amino acid sequence of HPV-16 E7 revealed striking similarities with conserved domains 1 and 2 of adenovirus E1A proteins.