Inhibition of human papillomavirus type 16 E7 phosphorylation by the S100 MRP-8/14 protein complex

The human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E7 is a major viral oncoprotein that is phosphorylated by casein kinase 11 (CKII). Two S100 family calcium-binding proteins, macrophage inhibitory-related factor protein 8 (MRP-8) and MRP-14, form a protein complex, MRP-8/14, that inactivates CKII. The MRP-8/14 protein complex may inhibit CKII-mediated E7 phosphorylation and therefore may alter its interaction with cellular ligands and reduce E7 oncogenic activity. We examined the inhibitory effect of the MRP-8/14 complex on CKII activity and HPV16 E7 phosphorylation. We have shown that CKII activity and HPV16 E7 phosphorylation were inhibited by uptake of exogenous MRP-8/14 and activation of endogenous MRP-8/14. MRP-8/14-mediated inhibition of E7 phosphorylation occurred at the G, phase of the cell cycle. Analysis of MRP expression in primary keratinocytes and in HPV16- and 18-transformed cervical and foreskin epithelial cell lines showed that expression of MRP-8, MRP-14, and the MRP-8/14 complex was detected only in primary untransformed keratinocytes and not in the HPV-infected immortalized epithelial cells. CKII activity in HPV-immortalized keratinocytes was approximately fourfold higher than in HPV-negative primary keratinocytes. Treatment of HPV-positive immortalized epithelial cells with exogenous MRP-8/14 resulted in E7 hypophosphorylation and complete inhibition of cell growth within 2 weeks, compared with HPV-negative primary and immortalized HPV-negative cervical epithelial cells, which showed 25 and 40% growth inhibition, respectively. Together these results suggests that the MRP-8/14 protein complex in HPV-infected epithelial cells may play an important role in regulation of CKII-mediated E7 phosphorylation and inhibition of its oncogenic activity.