Regulation of cellular zinc balance as a potential mechanism of EVER-mediated protection against pathogenesis by cutaneous oncogenic human papillomaviruses

• Published in: The Journal of experimental medicine Vol. 205; no. 1; pp. 35 - 42
• Main Authors: Lazarczyk, Maciej, Pons, Christian, Mendoza, José-Andrès, Cassonnet, Patricia, Jacob, Yves, Favre, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Rockefeller University Press 21.01.2008; The Rockefeller University Press
• Subjects: Brief Definitive Reports; Cation Transport Proteins; Cation Transport Proteins - metabolism; Cell Line, Tumor; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis; Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis - metabolism; Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis - virology; Gene Expression Regulation; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genome, Viral; Human papillomavirus 16; Humans; Life Sciences; Membrane Proteins; Membrane Proteins - physiology; Papillomaviridae; Papillomaviridae - metabolism; Papillomavirus Infections; Papillomavirus Infections - metabolism; Papillomavirus Infections - prevention & control; RNA, Small Interfering; RNA, Small Interfering - metabolism; Two-Hybrid System Techniques; Zinc; Zinc - chemistry; Zinc - metabolism
• ISSN: 0022-1007; 1540-9538; 1892-1007
• DOI: 10.1084/jem.20071311

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a genodermatosis associated with skin cancers that results from a selective susceptibility to related human papillomaviruses (EV HPV). Invalidating mutations in either of two genes (EVER1 and EVER2) with unknown functions cause most EV cases. We report that EVER1 and EVER2 proteins form a complex and interact with the zinc transporter 1 (ZnT-1), as shown by yeast two-hybrid screening, GST pull-down, and immunoprecipitation experiments. In keratinocytes, EVER and ZnT-1 proteins do not influence intracellular zinc concentration, but do affect intracellular zinc distribution. EVER2 was found to inhibit free zinc influx to nucleoli. Keratinocytes with a mutated EVER2 grew faster than wild-type keratinocytes. In transiently and stably transfected HaCaT cells, EVER and ZnT-1 down-regulated transcription factors stimulated by zinc (MTF-1) or cytokines (c-Jun and Elk), as detected with luciferase assays. To get some insight into the control of EV HPV infection, we searched for interaction between EVER and ZnT-1 and oncoproteins of cutaneous (HPV5) and genital (HPV16) genotypes. HPV16 E5 protein binds to EVER and ZnT-1 and blocks their negative regulation. The lack of a functional E5 protein encoded by EV HPV genome may account for host restriction of these viruses.