Oncogenic types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are major human carcinogens. The formation of a trimeric complex between the HPV E6 oncoprotein, the cellular ubiquitin ligase E6AP and the p53 tumor suppressor protein leads to proteolytic p53 degradation and plays a central role for HPV-induced cell transformation. We here uncover that E6AP silencing in HPV-positive cancer cells ultimately leads to efficient induction of cellular senescence, revealing that E6AP acts as a potent …