New target helps to fight with HPV

Papillomavirus causes different diseases, from warts to cancer. Scientists in Institute of Technology have discovered a new cell target that could potentially fight with diseases caused by HPV.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small DNA viruses that infect epithelial cells and can cause a variety of hyperplastic changes in the infected tissue. Replication of the HPV genomes relies largely on the host cell factors. The only viral proteins that are necessary for the virus replication are E1 and E2. Relatively little is known about the host cell factors that modulate the activities of E1 and E2 proteins and thereby regulate replication of the HPV genome. Scientists have discovered that the activity of an ubiquitously expressed protein kinase CK2 is needed for efficient replication of a number of different HPV types. And further show that only one of the two catalytic subunits of CK2 existing in the cell, CK2α, is required for the replication of HPV genomes, whereas a closely related CK2α’ has no or little effect. Finally, they demonstrate that inhibition of CK2 activity results in rapid degradation of the E1 helicase and thereby inefficient replication of the HPV genomes. Taken together the results delineate the function of a host cell protein kinase CK2 in the HPV life cycle and describe a surprising differential effect of two closely related catalytic subunits of CK2 in the replication of HPV genomes.

Read more here abot the work!