Activation of the ATM-Chk2 signaling pathway.

<p>(A–C) HeLa cells were transfected as follows: 5 µg of HPV18 E1 and 2 µg of HPV18 E2 expression plasmids (lane 1); 5 µg of HPV18 E1 expression plasmid (lane 2); 2 µg of E2 expression plasmid (lane 3); and a mock-transfection (lane 4). In every transfection, the amount of plasmid was adjusted to 10 µg with a carrier plasmid (pauxoMCF). Non-transfected HeLa cells are presented in lane 5 and HeLa cells that were treated 1 h with etoposide (50 µM) prior to the analysis in lane 6. Western blot analyses were performed at a 24 hrs time point to detect HPV18 E1 (A, panel a), HPV18 E2 (A, panel b), gamma histone H2AX (phosphorylated at S139) (A, panel c), and β-actin (A, panel d). Western blot analyses of Chk2 phosphorylated at Thr68 and Ser19 were performed after the immunoprecipitation with the anti-Chk2 antibody (B, panels a, b, c). Chk1 phosphorylated at Ser317 was detected from extracts that were immunoprecipitated with the anti-Chk1 antibody (C, panels a, b). (D) HeLa cells were transfected either with 2 µg of circular HPV18 genome, 2 µg of pBabePuro and 6 µg of carrier plasmid (lane 1), or with 2 µg of pBabePuro and 8 µg of carrier plasmid (lane 2). Untransfected cells were removed with puromycin treatment (2 µg/ml) 24–48 h posttransfection. Western blot analyses with anti-Chk2 (panel a) and anti-Chk2-Ser19 (panel b) antibodies were performed after the immunoprecipitation with the anti-Chk2 antibody at a 72 h time point. Untreated HeLa cells are shown in lane 3 and etoposide-treated HeLa cells in lane 4.