Cited by 277Telomeres, Telomerase, and SenescenceCervical Cancer and HPV ResearchCancer-related Molecular Pathways

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 60 of the 61 references it cites were found in a registry or an index, and 1 are not checked yet; none of the 38 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Identification of a novel telomerase repressor that interacts with the human papillomavirus type-16 E6/E6-AP complex

Open access

Abstract

The critical immortalizing activity of the human papillomavirus (HPV) type-16 E6 oncoprotein is to induce expression of hTERT, the catalytic and rate-limiting subunit of telomerase. Additionally, E6 binds to a cellular protein called E6-associated protein (E6-AP) to form an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets p53 for proteasome-dependent degradation. Although telomerase induction and p53 degradation are separable and distinct functions of E6, binding of E6 to E6-AP strongly correlated with the induction of hTERT. Here, we demonstrate using shRNAs to reduce E6-AP expression that E6-AP is required for E6-mediated telomerase induction. A yeast two-hybrid screen to find new targets of the E6/E6-AP E3 ubiquitin ligase complex identified NFX1. Two isoforms of NFX1 were found: NFX1-123, which coactivated with c-Myc at the hTERT promoter, and NFX1-91, which repressed the hTERT promoter. NFX1-91 was highly ubiquitinated and destabilized in epithelial cells expressing E6. Furthermore, knockdown of NFX1-91 by shRNA resulted in derepression of the endogenous hTERT promoter and elevated levels of telomerase activity. We propose that the induction of telomerase by the HPV-16 E6/E6-AP complex involves targeting of NFX1-91, a newly identified repressor of telomerase, for ubiquitination and degradation.

Checked 2026-11-12 · 1 reference not checked yet

Overview

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Written by AI from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

HPV-16 E6 induces hTERT/telomerase, and this paper shows E6-AP is required for that induction. A yeast two-hybrid screen identified NFX1; its NFX1-91 isoform represses the hTERT promoter and is preferentially bound, ubiquitinated, and destabilized by the E6/E6-AP complex.

Key findings

  • E6-AP is required for E6-mediated telomerase induction: shRNA against E6-AP reduced E6-AP RNA to ∼29% of vector control, abrogated E6-mediated p53 degradation, and disrupted E6-mediated hTERT induction and TRAP activity in HFKs.
  • NFX1 has two splice isoforms with opposing hTERT promoter activities: NFX1-123 coactivated with c-Myc, whereas NFX1-91 repressed the hTERT promoter, reducing activity to ∼60% of background alone and robustly repressing c-Myc induction.
  • NFX1-91 is preferentially targeted by E6/E6-AP: E6 expression reduced NFX1-91 half-life ∼46%, from 2.5 h to 1.3 h; MG-132 restored levels; NFX1-91 was highly ubiquitinated, and E6 coimmunoprecipitated preferentially with NFX1-91 rather than NFX1-123.
  • NFX1-91 knockdown derepressed endogenous hTERT and increased telomerase activity; E6-expressing cells with reduced NFX1-91 showed greater than twofold increased hTERT by RT-PCR and TRAP, and reduced E6-AP increased NFX1-91 half-life from 1.2 to 1.7 h.

Methods

  • Primary human foreskin keratinocytes (HFKs) and 293T, HeLa, C33A, and U2OS cells were used with retroviral shRNA/expression constructs; a yeast two-hybrid screen used catalytically defective E6-AP C833A plus E6 against fetal brain and HeLa cDNA libraries.
  • Functional assays included hTERT luciferase reporter assays (710 and 219 constructs), EMSA with recombinant His-tagged NFX1 fragments, RT-PCR, TRAP telomerase assays, Western blotting, cycloheximide and pulse-chase half-life measurements, immunoprecipitation, in vivo ubiquitination assays, and SAβ-galactosidase staining.
  • Analyses compared promoter activity, protein stability, ubiquitination, and telomerase activity across vector, E6, E6 mutant, and shRNA conditions; data are presented as representative experiments or averages with error bars where indicated.

Limitations

  • The paper states that NFX1-91 did not overexpress well despite repeated attempts, so the authors could not demonstrate hTERT promoter repression by increased NFX1-91 expression.
  • The paper states that the reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation to precipitate AU1-16E6 with NFX1 antibody did not work, and that no significant telomere-length differences were observed despite increased telomerase activity.
  • The paper states that whether NFX1-123 coactivation is integral to E6-mediated hTERT induction remains to be tested, and future efforts will determine whether either NFX1 isoform is differentially bound in vivo in E6-expressing cells.
  • Evident from the text: several key binding and overexpression results are supported by “data not shown,” and the model relies heavily on transient assays, shRNA knockdown, and primary HFK systems rather than in vivo tumor models.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1101/gad.1214704

Cites

60 of 61 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Verification

Claims the paper makes

48 Own result · 17 Own interpretation · 12 Check pending · 7 No full text of the sources · 3 Own method · 2 Sources not found · 1 Not checked yet

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Citations

Cites

Show all 60 references

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. 1996, Cancer Res., 56, 4620
  2. 2000, Cancer Res., 60, 537
  3. 1999, Cancer Res., 59, 6087
  4. 1999, Cancer Res., 59, 826
  5. 2000, Clin. Cancer Res., 6, 1239
  6. 1999, Cancer Res., 59, 551

Cited by

Items 201–277 of 277

Metadata

Authors
Gewin, L., Myers, H., Kiyono, T., & Galloway, D. A.
Affiliations
University of Washington (US)
Venue
Genes & Development
Published
2004-09-15
Volume
18
Issue
18
Pages
2269-2282
ISSN
  • 0890-9369 (ISSN-L)
  • 1549-5477
OpenAlex
W2127352755
Cited by
277
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 17
Type
posted content
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Genes & Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Cancer Institute (T32CA009229, 5 T32 CA 09229-23, R01CA064795)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (T32AI007140)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Cervical Cancer and HPV Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer-related Molecular Pathways
Keywords
HPV16, E6 oncoprotein, UBE3A, E3 ubiquitin ligase, hTERT promoter, ubiquitination, p53 degradation, epithelial cells
MeSH terms
Amino Acid Sequence, Binding Sites, Cells, Cultured, DNA-Binding Proteins, Enzyme Activation, Humans, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutation, Oncogene Proteins, Viral, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Repressor Proteins, Tumor Suppressor Protein p53, Genes, myc, Telomerase, Protein Isoforms, Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases, Macromolecular Substances

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