Human papillomavirus E7 binds Oct4 and regulates its activity in HPV-associated cervical cancers.

ABSTRACT: Octamer binding transcription factor-4 (Oct4), is highly expressed in stem cells and has indispensable roles in pluripotency and cellular reprogramming. In contrast to other factors used for cellular reprogramming, a role for Oct4 outside embryonic stem cells has been elusive and highly controversial. Emerging evidence implicates Oct4 in the carcinogenic process, but the mechanism through which Oct4 may be functioning in cancers is not fully appreciated. Here, we provide evidence that Oct4 is expressed in human cervical cancer and this expression correlates with the presence of the human papillomavirus (HPV) oncogenes E6 and E7. Surprisingly, the viral oncogenes can complement exogenously provided Oct4 in reprogramming assays, providing functional validation for their ability to activate O

SUBMITTER: Panayiotou T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7228134 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature