A human papillomavirus type 18 E6/E7 transgene sensitizes mouse lens cells to human wild-type p53-mediated apoptosis

We have studied the concerted action of factors that influence the balance between cell proliferation and cell death in the developing lens of transgenic mice. We show that a human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV18) E6/E7 transgene that predominantly expresses the viral E7 gene product triggers apoptosis in a dose dependent manner, and causes retardation of lens growth or microphakia. E7 is known to inactivate pRB, the product of the retinoblastoma gene, and to enhance the action of p53. Our earlier work had demonstrated that over-expression of p53 itself can cause apoptosis of lens cells, and that a mutant p53 allele can interfere with this process. In the present study, we examined lenses that simultaneously express different constellations of the HPV18 E6/E7, wild-type and mutant human p53, and wild-type human pRB transgenes. We observed that lens cells expressing the HPV18 transgene are more sensitive to wild-type human p53 action than normal lens cells. As a result, there is severe microphakia in lenses that express both the HPV18 and the wild-type p53 transgenes. By contrast, apoptosis was reduced in lenses that co-expressed the HPV18 and either the pRB or the mutant p53 transgene. We conclude that levels of wild-type p53 are critical, and that any excess of p53 or suppression of pRB can cause cell death. Our results encourage attempts to counteract the deleterious action of human papillomaviruses in cervical cancer by a combination of measures that decrease cell proliferation and enhance apoptosis.