Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) enhances bovine papilloma virus (BPV) transformation in vitro

Infection of NIH 3T3 cells with a combination of HCMV and BPV resulted in more foci than infection with BPV alone. Foci were microscopically apparent at 4 days in the mixed infection and did not appear until 2 days later in the cultures infected with BPV alone. The enhancement was abolished by heat inactivation of the HCMV and also when the HCMV was replaced by a "mock inoculum." Southern blot analysis of cellular DNA from transformed cells showed a similar amount of extrachromosomal BPV DNA in cells infected by BPV alone and in cells co-infected with HCMV. No HCMV antigens could be found in these cells by immunofluorescence. The mechanisms of the enhancement are not known. Stimulation of host DNA synthesis by HCMV could possibly increase the transforming efficiency of BPV. Alternatively, the increase in BPV transforming efficiency could be due to a transient increase in BPV-1 transcription by an HCMV transcriptional transactivation factor. Since both HCMV and human papillomaviruses are commonly found in the uterine cervix, HCMV may play a role in human cervical cancer by enhancing the carcinogenic potential of human papillomavirus.