Induction of chromosome abnormalities in mouse and human epidermal keratinocytes by the human papillomavirus type 16 E7 oncogene.

Cytogenetic abnormalities associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 were studied using primary human and mouse epidermal keratinocytes. The E7 transforming gene of HPV-16 was found to induce chromosome duplication in epidermal keratinocytes; little or no detectable chromosome disorganization was associated with the function of the E6 gene. These results suggest that the E7 gene-linked cytogenetic effect reflects HPV-16-associated pathogenicity in the early phase of transformation.