Loss of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor Alters Oncolytic Adenovirus Replication and Promotes More Efficient Virus Production

Cancers (Basel). 2018 Jun 15;10(6):202. doi: 10.3390/cancers10060202.

Abstract

We elucidate the role of p21/Waf-1, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, on the oncolytic infection and replication cycle of adenovirus by studying both mRNA and adenoviral proteins expression. We found that infection in the absence of p21 causes a significant increase in adenoviral genomes and late gene expression. Similarly, the oncolytic adenoviral infected p21−/− cells have earlier formation of replication foci and robust replication kinetics that were not observed in the wild type p21/Waf-1 intact cells. These findings suggest a culmination that the presence of intact p21 in host cells causes defects in the oncolytic viral life cycle which results in the production of immature and noninfectious particles.

Keywords: adenovirus replication; oncolytic adenovirus; p21.