INDUCTION OF DIFFERENTIATION-ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN ESTABLISHED HUMAN-CELLS BY INFECTION WITH ADENOASSOCIATED VIRUS TYPE-2

The nonpathogenic human defective parvovirus adeno-associated virus (AAV) type 2 induced differentiation-associated antigens in cells of the human leukemia cell line HL60 (CD 67), as well as in two different lines of immortalized human keratinocytes, HaCaT and HPK Ia cells (involucrin and cytokeratin 10). Simultaneously, expression of the c-myc and c-myb oncogenes and the retinoblastoma gene was down regulated whereas c-fos expression increased in infected cells. These data point to the potential of AAV to induce functions related to the differentiation pathway in different types of human cells. This phenomenon may be involved in the reported oncosuppressive properties of AAV infections.