ANTIAPOPTOTIC ACTIVITY OF BOVINE PAPILLOMA-VIRUS - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF ONCOGENESIS

Transformed fibroblasts have been recently shown to be sensitive for i nduction of apoptosis by TGF-beta-treated neighbouring untransformed c ells. Cells transformed by a variety of different transformation princ iples were regularly sensitive for intercellular induction of apoptosi s, but fibroblasts transformed by bovine papillomavirus (BPV) represen ted a striking exception. In contrast to chemically transformed C127 c ells, BPV-transformed C127 cells showed resistance against intercellul ar induction of apoptosis. In addition, BPV-transformed cells were res istant against induction of apoptosis by ROS in glutathione depleted c ells. The antiapoptotic function of papillomaviruses may be of central importance for papillomavirus-induced tumor formation as it can prote ct transformed cells from intercellular control of oncogenesis.