Microhomology-mediated repair machinery and its relationship with
HPV-mediated oncogenesis
Abstract
Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) are a diverse family of non-enveloped dsDNA
viruses that infect the skin and mucosal epithelia. Persistent HPV
infections can lead to cancer frequently involving integration of the
virus into the host genome, leading to sustained oncogene expression and
loss of capsid and genome maintenance proteins. Microhomology-mediated
double-strand break repair, a DNA double-stranded breaks repair pathway
present in many organisms, was initially thought to be a backup but it’s
now seen as vital, especially in homologous recombination-deficient
contexts. Increasing evidence has identified microhomology (MH) near HPV
integration junctions, suggesting MH-mediated repair pathways drive
integration. In this comprehensive review, we present a detailed summary
of both the mechanisms underlying MH-mediated repair and the evidence
for its involvement in HPV integration in cancer. Lastly, we highlight
the involvement of these processes in the integration of other DNA
viruses and the broader implications on virus lifecycles and host innate
immune response.