Interaction of Papillomaviral Oncoproteins with Cellular Factors

Papillomavirus oncoproteins play a major role in the PV life cycle. Their main task is to overcome cell cycle control and to counteract immune surveillance. As they do not display any intrinsic enzymatic activity, they exert their function via protein-protein interactions. Many of these interactions are highly conserved among different HPV types, especially between the “high risk” types, and can be reduced to the conserved overall structure of the oncoproteins. As outlined above these complex interactions may have profound consequences for the host keratinocyte. With respect to the high risk PV, these alterations may even lead beyond the goal of PV amplification, namely the oncogenic transformation of the host cell.