The oncogenic roles of p53 mutants in mouse models

Tumors associated with p53 usually contain missense mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene rather than deletions of p53, suggesting a growth advantage for cells with missense mutations. The oncogenic roles of p53 mutants have been examined extensively in cell lines. Mouse models that inherit p53 mutations expressed at physiological levels have now been generated to examine the activities of mutant p53 upon tumorigenesis in vivo. Mice with p53 mutations develop tumor spectrums and metastatic phenotypes different from those of mice with a p53-null allele. Embryo fibroblasts with mutant p53 also show increased proliferative and transformation properties. One mechanism for this gain-of-function potential is the inhibition of function of the p53 family members p63 and p73.     

neu/ERBB2 cooperates with p53-172H during mammary tumorigenesis in transgenic mice.

Thirty percent of human breast cancers have amplification of ERBB2, often in conjunction with mutations in p53. The most common p53 mutation in human breast cancers is an Arg-to-His mutation at codon 175, an allele that functions in a dominant oncogenic manner in tumorigenesis assays and is thus distinct from loss of p53. Transgenic mice expressing mouse mammary tumor virus-driven neu transgene (MMTV-neu) develop clonal mammary tumors with a latency of 234 days, suggesting that other events are necessary for tumor development. We have examined the role of mutations in p53 in tumor development in these mice. We have found that 37% of tumors arising in these mice have a missense mutations in p53. We have directly tested for cooperativity between neu and mutant p53 in mammary tumorigenesis by creating bitransgenic mice carrying MMTV-neu and 172Arg-to-His p53 mutant (p53-172H). In these bitransgenic mice, tumor latency is shortened to 154 days, indicating strong cooperativity. None of the nontransgenic mice or the p53-172H transgenic mice developed tumors within this time period. Tumors arising in the p53-172H/neu bitransgenic mice were anaplastic and aneuploid and exhibited increased apoptosis, in distinction to tumors arising in p53-null mice, in which apoptosis is diminished. Further experiments address potential mechanisms of cooperativity between the two transgenes. In these bitransgenic mice, we have recapitulated two common genetic lesions that occur in human breast cancer and have shown that p53 mutation is an important cooperating event in neu-mediated oncogenesis.     

Intact p53-Dependent Responses in miR-34-Deficient Mice

MicroRNAs belonging to the miR-34 family have been proposed as critical modulators of the p53 pathway and potential tumor suppressors in human cancers. To formally test these hypotheses, we have generated mice carrying targeted deletion of all three members of this microRNA family. We show that complete inactivation of miR-34 function is compatible with normal development in mice. Surprisingly, p53 function appears to be intact in miR-34-deficient cells and tissues. Although loss of miR-34 expression leads to a slight increase in cellular proliferation in vitro, it does not impair p53-induced cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Furthermore, in contrast to p53-deficient mice, miR-34-deficient animals do not display increased susceptibility to spontaneous, irradiation-induced, or c-Myc-initiated tumorigenesis. We also show that expression of members of the miR-34 family is particularly high in the testes, lungs, and brains of mice and that it is largely p53-independent in these tissues. These findings indicate that miR-34 plays a redundant function in the p53 pathway and suggest additional p53-independent functions for this family of miRNAs.     

Loss of p53 Ser18 and Atm results in embryonic lethality without cooperation in tumorigenesis

Phosphorylation at murine Serine 18 (human Serine 15) is a critical regulatory process for the tumor suppressor function of p53. p53Ser18 residue is a substrate for ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ATM-related (ATR) protein kinases. Studies of mice with a germ-line mutation that replaces Ser18 with Ala (p53(S18A) mice) have demonstrated that loss of phosphorylation of p53Ser18 leads to the development of tumors, including lymphomas, fibrosarcomas, leukemia and leiomyosarcomas. The predominant lymphoma is B-cell lymphoma, which is in contrast to the lymphomas observed in Atm(-/-) animals. This observation and the fact that multiple kinases phosphorylate p53Ser18 suggest Atm-independent tumor suppressive functions of p53Ser18. Therefore, in order to examine p53Ser18 function in relationship to ATM, we analyzed the lifespan and tumorigenesis of mice with combined mutations in p53Ser18 and Atm. Surprisingly, we observed no cooperation in survival and tumorigenesis in compound p53(S18A) and Atm(-/-) animals. However, we observed embryonic lethality in the compound mutant animals. In addition, the homozygous p53Ser18 mutant allele impacted the weight of Atm(-/-) animals. These studies examine the genetic interaction of p53Ser18 and Atm in vivo. Furthermore, these studies demonstrate a role of p53Ser18 in regulating embryonic survival and motor coordination.     

Bax loss impairs Myc-induced apoptosis and circumvents the selection of p53 mutations during Myc-mediated lymphomagenesis

The ARF and p53 tumor suppressors mediate Myc-induced apoptosis and suppress lymphoma development in E mu-myc transgenic mice. Here we report that the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bax also mediates apoptosis triggered by Myc and inhibits Myc-induced lymphomagenesis. Bax-deficient primary pre-B cells are resistant to the apoptotic effects of Myc, and Bax loss accelerates lymphoma development in E mu-myc transgenics in a dose-dependent fashion. Eighty percent of lymphomas arising in wild-type E mu-myc transgenics have alterations in the ARF-Mdm2-p53 tumor suppressor pathway characterized by deletions in ARF, mutations or deletions of p53, and overexpression of Mdm2. The absence of Bax did not alter the frequency of biallelic deletion of ARF in lymphomas arising in E mu-myc transgenic mice or the rate of tumorigenesis in ARF-null mice. Furthermore, Mdm2 was overexpressed at the same frequency in lymphomas irrespective of Bax status, suggesting that Bax resides in a pathway separate from ARF and Mdm2. Strikingly, lymphomas from Bax-null E mu-myc transgenics lacked p53 alterations, whereas 27% of the tumors in Bax(+/-) E mu-myc transgenic mice contained p53 mutations or deletions. Thus, the loss of Bax eliminates the selection of p53 mutations and deletions, but not ARF deletions or Mdm2 overexpression, during Myc-induced tumorigenesis, formally demonstrating that Myc-induced apoptotic signals through ARF/Mdm2 and p53 must bifurcate: p53 signals through Bax, whereas this is not necessarily the case for ARF and Mdm2.     

Interactions between Cells with Distinct Mutations in c-MYC and Pten in Prostate Cancer

In human somatic tumorigenesis, mutations are thought to arise sporadically in individual cells surrounded by unaffected cells. This contrasts with most current transgenic models where mutations are induced synchronously in entire cell populations. Here we have modeled sporadic oncogene activation using a transgenic mouse in which c-MYC is focally activated in prostate luminal epithelial cells. Focal c-MYC expression resulted in mild pathology, but prostate-specific deletion of a single allele of the Pten tumor suppressor gene cooperated with c-MYC to induce high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN)/cancer lesions. These lesions were in all cases associated with loss of Pten protein expression from the wild type allele. In the prostates of mice with concurrent homozygous deletion of Pten and focal c-MYC activation, double mutant (i.e. c-MYC+;Pten-null) cells were of higher grade and proliferated faster than single mutant (Pten-null) cells within the same glands. Consequently, double mutant cells outcompeted single mutant cells despite the presence of increased rates of apoptosis in the former. The p53 pathway was activated in Pten-deficient prostate cells and tissues, but c-MYC expression shifted the p53 response from senescence to apoptosis by repressing the p53 target gene p21^Cip1. We conclude that c-MYC overexpression and Pten deficiency cooperate to promote prostate tumorigenesis, but a p53-dependent apoptotic response may present a barrier to further progression. Our results highlight the utility of inducing mutations focally to model the competitive interactions between cell populations with distinct genetic alterations during tumorigenesis.     

Role of the newer p53 family proteins in malignancy

The most recently identified members of the p53 family, p63 and p73, share certain structural and functional similarities with p53. Both p63 and p73 can bind to canonical p53-DNA-binding sites, transactivate the promoters of known p53 target genes and induce apoptosis. Despite these similarities there are many important differences. In contrast to p53, p63 and p73 give rise to multiple distinct protein isoforms that have different functional properties. Upstream signaling pathways involved in the activation of p63 and p73 differ from those involved in p53 activation. Only a subset of the DNA damaging agents that induce p53 can induce p73. Cellular and viral oncoproteins can discriminate between p53 and the newer family members. In addition, the levels of p63 and p73 are affected by certain states of cellular differentiation. Finally, it is becoming clear that the newest members of the p53 family are not classical tumor suppressor genes. In contrast to the high prevalence of p53 mutations in human cancers, p63 and p73 mutations are rare. Indeed, levels of p73 increase during malignant progression. In addition, unlike p53-/- mice, mice lacking p63 and p73 do not develop tumors, but instead have significant developmental abnormalities. Mutations in p63 have also been detected in humans with the ectodermal dysplastic syndrome EEC. Further studies are required to determine whether qualitative or quantitative differences in the expression of p63 and p73 isoforms are important in the development of human cancers.     

Mutant p53 gain of function in two mouse models of Li-Fraumeni syndrome

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is commonly altered in human tumors, predominantly through missense mutations that result in accumulation of mutant p53 protein. These mutations may confer dominant-negative or gain-of-function properties to p53. To ascertain the physiological effects of p53 point mutation, the structural mutant p53R172H and the contact mutant p53R270H (codons 175 and 273 in humans) were engineered into the endogenous p53 locus in mice. p53R270H/+ and p53R172H/+ mice are models of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome; they developed allele-specific tumor spectra distinct from p53+/- mice. In addition, p53R270H/- and p53R172H/- mice developed novel tumors compared to p53-/- mice, including a variety of carcinomas and more frequent endothelial tumors. Dominant effects that varied by allele and function were observed in primary cells derived from p53R270H/+ and p53R172H/+ mice. These results demonstrate that point mutant p53 alleles expressed under physiological control have enhanced oncogenic potential beyond the simple loss of p53 function.     

.HECT类泛素连接酶对p53家族的调控作用

p53家族成员在细胞生长、组织发育及肿瘤形成等方面都具有十分重要的生物学功能,其自身受到严格调控,泛素化修饰就是其中非常重要的方式之一,作为泛素化过程中决定底物特异性的泛素连接酶E3作用则更加突出.泛素连接酶E3可以分为两类：RING（really interesting new gene）类和HECT（homologous to E6AP C-terminus）类E3近年来,HECT类E3对p53家族的调控效应不断得到揭示.本文综述了HECT类E3在调控p53家族转录活性、稳定 性方面的重要作用、分子机制以及其作用对生物体肿瘤形成和生长发育等产生的影响,为进 一步完善p53家族调控网络,揭示HECT类E3在肿瘤发生发展及防治中的作用提供参考.     

Targeting the p53 Family for Cancer Therapy: ‘Big Brother’ Joins the Fight

Inactivation of p53-mediated signalling plays a major role in both the genesis and therapy resistance of human cancer. Nearly all tumors contain mutations in p53 itself or have perturbations in the p53 pathway. Since there is clear evidence that many tumor cells are more likely to die in response to wild-type p53 activation or restoration than are their normal counterparts, there has been considerable interest in the development of small molecules that target p53 for therapeutic gain. These include compounds that either revert mutant p53 back to its wild-type conformation or compounds which interfere with the binding to, or the ubiquitylation of, p53 by Hdm2. In both cases, however, the efficacy of the strategy depends on the presence of either mutant or wild-type p53 respectively thereby limiting their application to specific tumor settings. As a result, recent strategies have turned to the p53 family member, p73, which like p53 is a potent inducer of death, but in contrast is rarely lost or mutated in tumors. We discuss here all these different strategies and in particular focus on the discovery of an apoptotic peptide which targets not just p73, but potentially all p53 family members to cause tumor cell death.     

p53 gain-of-function cancer mutants induce genetic instability by inactivating ATM

Tp53 is the most commonly mutated tumour-suppressor gene in human cancers. In addition to the loss of tumour-suppression function, some missense mutants gain novel oncogenic activities. To elucidate the nature of the gain of function, we introduced the most common p53 cancer mutations (R248W and R273H) independently into the humanized p53 knock-in (HUPKI) allele in mice. Tumour-suppressor functions of p53 are abolished in p53-mutant mice. Several lines of evidence further indicate gain-of-function of p53 mutants in promoting tumorigenesis. p53(R248W) mice rapidly succumb to certain types of cancers not commonly observed in p53(-/-) mice. Interchromosomal translocations, a type of genetic instability rarely observed in p53(-/-) cells, are readily detectable in p53-mutant pre-tumor thymocytes. Although normal in p53(-/-) mouse cells, the G(2)-M checkpoint is impaired in p53-mutant cells after DNA damage. These acquired oncogenic properties of mutant p53 could be explained by the findings that these p53 mutants interact with the nuclease Mre11 and suppress the binding of the Mre11-Rad50-NBS1 (MRN) complex to DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs), leading to impaired Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) activation. Therefore, p53 gain-of-function mutants promote tumorigenesis by a novel mechanism involving active disruption of critical DNA damage-response pathways.     

Enterocyte proliferation and intestinal hyperplasia induced by simian virus 40 T antigen require a functional J domain

Transgenic mice expressing the simian virus 40 large T antigen (TAg) in enterocytes develop intestinal hyperplasia that progresses to dysplasia with age. This induction requires TAg action on the retinoblastoma (Rb) family of tumor suppressors and is independent of the p53 pathway. In cell culture systems, the inactivation of Rb proteins requires both a J domain in TAg that interacts with hsc70 and an LXCXE motif that directs association with Rb proteins. Together these elements are sufficient to release E2Fs from their association with Rb family members. We have generated transgenic mice that express a J domain mutant (D44N) in villus enterocytes. In contrast to wild-type TAg, the D44N mutant is unable to induce enterocyte proliferation. Histological and morphological examination revealed that mice expressing the J domain mutant have normal intestines without loss of growth control. Unlike mice expressing wild-type TAg, mice expressing D44N do not reduce the protein levels of p130 and are also unable to dissociate p130-E2F DNA binding complexes. Furthermore, mice expressing D44N in a null p130 background are still unable to develop hyperplasia. These studies demonstrate that the ectopic proliferation of enterocytes by TAg requires a functional J domain and suggest that the J domain is necessary to inactivate all three pRb family members.     

The in vivo role of the RP-Mdm2-p53 pathway in signaling oncogenic stress induced by pRb inactivation and Ras overexpression

The Mdm2-p53 tumor suppression pathway plays a vital role in regulating cellular homeostasis by integrating a variety of stressors and eliciting effects on cell growth and proliferation. Recent studies have demonstrated an in vivo signaling pathway mediated by ribosomal protein (RP)-Mdm2 interaction that responds to ribosome biogenesis stress and evokes a protective p53 reaction. It has been shown that mice harboring a Cys-to-Phe mutation in the zinc finger of Mdm2 that specifically disrupts RP L11-Mdm2 binding are prone to accelerated lymphomagenesis in an oncogenic c-Myc driven mouse model of Burkitt's lymphoma. Because most oncogenes when upregulated simultaneously promote both cellular growth and proliferation, it therefore stands to reason that the RP-Mdm2-p53 pathway might also be essential in response to oncogenes other than c-Myc. Using genetically engineered mice, we now show that disruption of the RP-Mdm2-p53 pathway by an Mdm2(C305F) mutation does not accelerate prostatic tumorigenesis induced by inactivation of the pRb family proteins (pRb/p107/p130). In contrast, loss of p19Arf greatly accelerates the progression of prostate cancer induced by inhibition of pRb family proteins. Moreover, using ectopically expressed oncogenic H-Ras we demonstrate that p53 response remains intact in the Mdm2(C305F) mutant MEF cells. Thus, unlike the p19Arf-Mdm2-p53 pathway, which is considered a general oncogenic response pathway, the RP-Mdm2-p53 pathway appears to specifically suppress tumorigenesis induced by oncogenic c-Myc.     

Inhibition of stress-inducible kinase pathways by tumorigenic mutant p53

More than 50% of human cancers contain p53 gene mutations and as a result accumulate altered forms of the full-length p53 protein. Although certain tumor types expressing mutant p53 protein have a poor prognostic process, the precise role of mutant p53 protein in highly malignant tumor cells is not well defined. Some p53 mutants, but not wild-type p53, are shown here to interact with Daxx, a Fas-binding protein that activates stress-inducible kinase pathways. Interaction of Daxx with p53 is highly dependent upon the specific mutation of p53. Tumorigenic mutants of p53 bind to Daxx and inhibit Daxx-dependent activation of the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 stress-inducible kinases and Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase. Mutant p53 forms complexes with Daxx in cells, and consequently, mutant p53 is able to rescue cells from Daxx-dependent inhibition of proliferation. Thus, the accumulation of mutant p53 in tumor cells may contribute to tumorigenesis by inhibiting stress-inducible kinase pathways.