Human papillomaviruses in epithelial cells

Principal Investigator

Eeva Auvinen, PhD
Docent in Virology
Department of Virology
Room: E436
Tel. +358 2941 26398
Fax + 358 2941 26491
eeva.auvinen (at) helsinki.fi

Graduate Students

Leena Heiska
Niina Kivi

Office: E436
Laboratory: E437
Tel. +358 2941 26563 (Lab)

Research interests

Our basic research aims at understanding the initial steps of human papillomavirus (HPV) pathogenesis in epithelial cells. HPV may initially infect basal cells, epithelial stem cells, or metaplastic cells. We hypothesize that the identity of the initially infected cell population may play a significant role in the outcome of the lesion, in particular in the case of high risk HPV infection. The final outcome of the infection may also depend on the virus type. The initial stages of viral infection involve division of the infected cell and establishment of infection in the epithelium. In normal epithelium, cells are committed to differentiation towards the epithelial surface. HPV infection may interfere with the differentiation program and lead to increased proliferation of undifferentiated cells, development of dysplasia, and to cancer.

Small regulatory RNA molecules, microRNAs have turned out to be important regulators in many cellular events and diseases including cancer. We propose that microRNAs are important regulators of HPV target cells. We are studying the alterations in cellular microRNA expression due to HPV, as well as the mechanisms of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of HPV.

We also involded in collaborative studies on human polyomaviruses as well as in clinical collaborations on human papillomaviruses.

Selected Publications

• Regulation of ezrin localization by Rac1 in epithelial cells. E. Auvinen, N. Kivi, A. Vaheri. Experimental Cell Research 313:824-833, 2007.

• Genes involved in cell adhesion, cell motility and mitogenic signaling are altered due to HPV 16 E5 protein expression. N. Kivi, D. Greco, P. Auvinen, E. Auvinen. Oncogene, 27:2532-2541, 2008.

• Polyomavirus BK and JC infections in well matched Finnish kidney transplant recipients. Helanterä I, Ortiz F, Auvinen E, Räisänen-Sokolowski A, Lappalainen M, Lautenschlager I, Koskinen P. Transplant International, 22:688-693, 2009.

• Expression and serological characterization of polyomavirus WUPyV and KIPyV structural proteins. Kantola K, Sadeghi M, Ewald M, Weissbrich B, Allander T, Lindau C, Andreasson K, Lahtinen A, Kumar A, Norja P, Jartti T, Lehtinen P, Auvinen E, Ruuskanen O, Söderlund-Venermo M, Hedman K. Viral Immunology, 23:385-393, 2010.

• Human papillomavirus 16 E5 modulates the expression of host microRNAs. Greco D, Kivi N, Qian K, Auvinen P, Auvinen E. Submitted for publication.