Practice question

High-risk human papillomavirus oncoproteins E6 and E7 cooperate to drive cervical carcinogenesis. E7 binds and inactivates Rb, releasing E2F and promoting cell-cycle progression. E6 recruits the ubiquitin ligase E6AP to target p53 for degradation, thereby disabling the apoptotic and checkpoint responses that would otherwise eliminate the proliferating infected cell. The combined action removes both major tumor-suppressor barriers.