CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES OF INTERFERON-BETA CYTOPATHIC EFFECT ON HPV-16 IN-VITRO TRANSFORMED HUMAN KERATINOCYTES (HPK-IA)

Recently, Interferon (IFN) beta has been reported to induce on HPK-IA cell line an unusually marked cytopathic effect. Surprisingly this eff ect is not shared with IFN alpha. The morphological aspect of this cyt opathic effect recals the one induced by highly cytopathic viruses. It has an induction time of less then four hours, may be inhibited by pr otein synthesis inhibitors and has a characteristic protein SDS-PAGE p attern. RT-PCR analysis has shown that IFN beta, but not alpha or gamm a, reduces the transcription level of E6/E7 viral mRNA, Taken together these data suggest that cells may finely discriminate between IFN alp ha and beta. Regarding HPK-IA cells this discrimination allows the act ivation of a Specific transduction pathway ultimately leading to cell death. Cell death may be due to the concomitant severe reduction of E6 /E7 viral transcription observed.