GENE EXPRESSION PROFILE REGULATED BY THE HPV16-E7 ONCOPROTEIN AND ESTRADIOL IN CERVICAL TISSUE

The HPV16-E7 oncoprotein and 17-estradiol are import factors for the induction of premalignant lesions and cervical cancer. The study of these factors is crucial for a better understanding of cervical tumorigenesis. In this study, we performed a microarray analysis to obtain a global gene expression profile induced by both, HPV16-E7 and 17-estradiol in cervical tissue of K14E7 transgenic mice. We found that 17-estradiol is the main cause of the up-regulation of a large number of cellular genes involved in the immune response whereas E7 oncoprotein mainly affects the cellular metabolism. Our microarray data also shows some novel differentially expressed genes that were not previously reported in cervical cancer. The identification of these genes, regulated by E7 and 17-estradiol, provides the basis for further studies on their role in cervical carcinogenesis.

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