Oncogenic HPV Infection Dysregulates Histone H3 Clipping

Author(s): Jorge Sandoval-Basilio, Sofia L. Alcaraz-Estrada, Octavio D. Reyes-Hernández, Gabriela Figueroa-González, Magali Blanco-Morales, Loreli Zamudio-Rodríguez, Jessica Sanchez-Briones

During infection by various pathogens, there is an accumulation of epigenetic alterations that lead to changes in gene expression or viral reactivation. Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) dysregulate various epigenetic mechanisms. Impaired histone H3 clipping constitutes an epigenetic mechanism in cervical cancer. However, if the impaired H3 clipping occurred as a primary effect of the HPV infection or if is a consequence of cervical carcinogenesis due to the high number of alterations is unknown. Using human cervical samples with negative pathology to cancer, but positive and negative to oncogenic HPV, we were able to identify that H3 clipping was low in the positive oncogenic HPV cervix compared to the negative oncogenic HPV cervix. These results suggest that low H3 clipping previously observed in cervical cancer may be a primary effect of oncogenic HPV infection.