Among more than 60 human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes, several HPVs are believed to be high risk because they are found in close association with cervical carcinoma. We compared the E7 genes from HPVs 1, 6b, 16, 18, and 33 for their transactivating, transforming, and mitogenic functions in a single cell line rat 3Y1. Whereas both the low-risk (1 and 6b) and the high-risk (16, 18, and 33) HPVs were transactivating for the adenovirus E2 promoter, only the high-risk HPVs were capable of focal transformation as assayed by an efficient method using the SR alpha-promoter and in conjunction with the HPV 16 E6 gene. The putative oncogenicity of HPVs appears to be reflected in vitro by the focal transformation, but not by the transactivation. Transient expression of the E7 genes controlled by the dexamethasone-responsive MMTV-LTR showed that the HPV 16 mutant E7s only with residual transforming activity were not mitogenic, but that, although the low-risk HPV E7s were less efficient, both the low-risk and high-risk HPV E7s were capable of inducing cellular DNA synthesis. Probably, the capability to induce cell DNA synthesis is necessary but not sufficient for the E7-mediated focal transformation.