Human Papillomavirus E2 Protein: Linking Replication, Transcription, and RNA Processing

The human papillomavirus (HPV) life cycle is tightly linked to differentiation of the infected epithelium. This means that viral proteins must exert control over epithelial gene expression in order to optimize viral production. The HPV E2 protein controls replication, transcription, and viral genome partitioning during the viral infectious life cycle. It consists of a nucleic acid-binding domain and a protein-protein interaction domain separated by a flexible serine and arginine-rich hinge region. Over the last few years, mounting evidence has uncovered an important new role for E2 in viral and cellular RNA processing. This Gem discusses the role of E2 in controlling the epithelial cellular environment and how E2 might act to coordinate late events in the viral replication cycle.