Human papillomavirus type 16 late gene expression is regulated by cellular RNA processing factors in response to epithelial differentiation.

HPV16 (human papillomavirus type 16) is a 7.9 kb double-stranded DNA virus that infects anogenital mucosal epithelia. In some rare cases, in women, infection can progress to cervical cancer.

The alternative splicing factor hnRNP A1 is up-regulated during virus-infected epithelial cell differentiation and binds the human papillomavirus type 16 late regulatory element.

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) infects anogenital epithelia and is the etiological agent of cervical cancer. We showed previously that HPV16 infection regulates the key splicing/alternative splicing factor SF2/ASF and that virus late transcripts are extensively alternatively spliced. hnRNP A1 is the antagonistic counterpart of SF2/ASF in alternative splicing.