P53 In Lung Cancer Research Articles

UBE1C is upregulated and promotes neddylation of p53 in lung cancer.

NEDDylation is a type of protein post-translational modification that has high similarity to ubiquitination. UBE1C encodes NEDDylation E1 enzyme, locates at chromatin region 3p14.1 and shows high gene dosage amplification frequency in both Asian and Caucasian lung cancer patients. However, its NEDDylation substrates and roles in tumorigenesis remain elucidated. In this study, we aim to investigate the oncogenic role of UBE1C and its involvement in how NEDDylation regulates p53 in lung cancer. We found that UBE1C mRNA overexpression and DNA amplification in most of the lung cell lines and cancer patients. Patients with UBE1C overexpression showed poor prognosis. Moreover, we demonstrated that overexpression of UBE1C and NEDD8, a NEDDylation moiety, resulted in the p53 NEDDylation with inhibition of p53 acetylation at K373 residue. Importantly, UBE1C-mediated NEDDylation downregulated the transcriptional activity of p53 by inhibiting p53 ability to target promoter regions of its downstream transcription targets, consequently inhibiting the promoter activities and the expression of mRNA and protein of the p53 downstream genes including p21 and PTEN. In addition, UBE1C and NEDD8 overexpression promoted migration, invasion, and proliferation of lung cancer cells. Our findings suggest that UBE1C acts as an oncogene with prognostic potential and highlight a potential role of UBE1C-mediated NEDDylation in downregulation of p53 transcriptional activity in lung cancer.

Abstract 422: Novel approach to destabilization of oncogenic mutant p53 and therapeutic implications

Abstract Introduction: Mutant p53 drives several hallmarks of cancer through a gain-of-function oncogenic program. The oncogenicity of mutant p53 includes sustained proliferation, increased survival and resistance to therapy, increased invasion and metastasis, and genomic instability. The oncogenicity of mutant p53 is related to its stability and accumulation in cells by evading degradation by the proteasome. Therefore, destabilization of mutant p53 has been sought as a therapeutic strategy, but so far without clinical success. We and others observe that proteasome inhibitors cause paradoxical depletion of mutant p53 in lung cancer cell lines. Objectives: In this project, we sought to determine the mechanism(s) of mutant p53 depletion by proteasome inhibition and its therapeutic implications in lung cancer. Methods: Human lung cancer cell lines bearing mutant p53 and wildtype p53 (WTp53) were used in this study. An isogenic panel of cell lines with mutant p53, WTp53 and a vector control was also used to determine mutant p53 dependency of the observed effects. Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, siRNA technology, DNA transfection were used for protein detection, protein-protein interactions, gene knock-down and overexpression respectively. Cycloheximide chase assay was used to determine protein degradation. The cancer genome atlas (TCGA) analysis was performed using the cBioPortal platform. Results: Proteasome inhibitors resulted in depletion of mutant p53 in the lung cancer cell line H1975. This effect was also confirmed using the isogenic model described above. Depletion of mutant p53 occurred through a degradation mechanism and was time dependent. While WTp53 accumulated at initial timepoints of proteasome inhibition, mutant p53 did not accumulate but instead depleted with time. This suggested that the proteasome is not the primary mechanism for mutant p53, in contrast to WTp53. Since autophagy is an alternative mechanism of protein degradation in eukaryotes, we evaluated for, and found evidence of autophagy upon proteasome inhibition. We further showed that autophagic degradation of mutant p53 could involve the heat shock protein 70. Our TCGA data analysis showed proteasome genes amplification in mutant p53 lung cancers, suggesting a possible functional dependency. Furthermore, RNA sequencing analysis showed upregulation of most proteasome genes upon stable expression of the R273H mutant in p53-null lung cancer cell line. Finally, in vitro cell viability assays using two different proteasome inhibitors showed increased sensitivity of the lung cancer cell line with mutant p53 compared to WTp53. Conclusion: The cumulative evidence of proteasome hyperactivity, degradation of mutant p53 and in vitro evidence of increased susceptibility of mutant p53 lung cancer cell lines suggests that proteasome inhibitors warrant a closer attention for therapeutic targeting of mutant p53 in lung cancer. Citation Format: Eziafa I. Oduah, Larisa Litovchick, Steven R. Grossman. Novel approach to destabilization of oncogenic mutant p53 and therapeutic implications [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 422.

Expression and clinical significance of MMP-9 and P53 in lung cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the expression of MMP-9 (matrix metalloproteinases 9) and P53 (tumor suppressor proteins, tumor protein P53) in serum of patients with lung cancer. The relation between the two factors and their clinical pathological features were also explored. 150 patients were selected as the experimental group. They were diagnosed with lung cancer in Shandong Province Chest Hospital from January 2014 to January 2017. Meanwhile, 90 healthy subjects were selected as the control group. The expression levels of MMP-9 and P53 in serum were detected by fluorescence quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The diagnostic value of MMP-9 and P53 in patients with lung cancer was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Pearson test was used to analyze the correlation between MMP-9 and P53 in the experimental group. The patients were divided into high expression and low expression groups according to the median of MMP-9 and P53 expressions. The expressions of MMP-9 and P53 in patients with lung cancer were higher than the normal level (p<0.05). MMP-9 and P53 in serum of the experimental group were closely related to patients' TNM-stage, degree of differentiation, lymph node metastases, smoking history and pattern of organization (p<0.05). The expressions of MMP-9 and P53 were positively correlated (p<0.001). The expressions of MMP-9 and P53 played important roles in lung cancer and were closely related to clinicopathology and three-year survival rate. They could provide help for the diagnosis and treatment of clinical lung cancer.

Proteinase-activated receptor-2 enhances Bcl2-like protein-12 expression in lung cancer cells to suppress p53 expression.

IntroductionThe pathogenesis of lung cancer is unclear. Less expression of p53 or p53 mutation was identified in lung cancer cells, which plays a role in the development of lung cancer. Recent reports indicate that Bcl2-like protein-12 (Bcl2L12) can inhibit the expression of p53. Lung cancer cells express proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR2). This study tests the hypothesis that activation of PAR2 inhibits the expression of p53 in lung cancer cells.Material and methodsLung cancer cells were collected from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The cells were exposed to active peptides or trypsin in the culture for 48 h. The expression of p53 was assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blotting.ResultsWe observed that lung cancer cells express Bcl2L12. Activation of PAR2 increases expression of Bcl2L12 in lung cancer cells. Bcl2L12 mediates PAR2-suppressed p53 expression in lung cancer cells. IgE-activated mast cell suppression of p53 expression in lung cancer cells can be prevented by knocking down Bcl2L12. The Bcl2L12 bound Mdm2, the transcription factor of p53, to prevent the Mdm2 from binding to the promoter of p53 and thus inhibited p53 expression in lung cancer cells. PAR2 could attenuate lung cancer cell apoptosis via inducing Bcl2L12.ConclusionsLung cancer cells express Bcl2L12, which mediates the effects of activation of PAR2 on suppressing the expression of p53 in lung cancer cells, implying that Bcl2L12 may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of lung cancer.

Axl Receptor Axis: A New Therapeutic Target in Lung Cancer

Abstract The Axl receptor tyrosine kinase belongs to the TAM (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) family of proteins and is upregulated in multiple types of cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer. In normal tissues, TAM receptor tyrosine kinases contribute to immune regulation. In cancer, Axl expression is associated with poor outcomes and is controlled through various transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms. Preclinical studies have shown that Axl is involved in cancer cell migration, growth, survival and resistance to chemotherapy through activation of multiple downstream signaling pathways, such as Ras/MAPK, PI3K and Rac1. Axl is also expressed on endothelial cells and plays a role in angiogenesis. In preclinical models, Axl inhibition decreases cancer growth and impedes lung cancer metastases. Small molecule Axl inhibitors have been developed and are currently being used as monotherapy or in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy or anti-EGFR therapy in early clinical trials. Here, we review Axl structure, functions, regulation, and preclinical and clinical studies in lung cancer.

Addiction of lung cancer cells to GOF p53 is promoted by up-regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor through multiple contacts with p53 transactivation domain and promoter

Human lung cancers harboring gain-of-function (GOF) p53 alleles express higher levels of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We demonstrate that a number of GOF p53 alleles directly upregulate EGFR. Knock-down of p53 in lung cancer cells lowers EGFR expression and reduces tumorigenicity and other GOF p53 properties. However, addiction of lung cancer cells to GOF p53 can be compensated by overexpressing EGFR, suggesting that EGFR plays a critical role in addiction. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) using lung cancer cells expressing GOF p53 alleles showed that GOF p53 localized to the EGFR promoter. The sequence where GOF p53 is found to interact by ChIP seq can act as a GOF p53 response element. The presence of GOF p53 on the EGFR promoter increased histone H3 acetylation, indicating a mechanism whereby GOF p53 enhances chromatin opening for improved access to transcription factors (TFs). ChIP and ChIP-re-ChIP with p53, Sp1 and CBP histone acetylase (HAT) antibodies revealed docking of GOF p53 on Sp1, leading to increased binding of Sp1 and CBP to the EGFR promoter. Up-regulation of EGFR can occur via GOF p53 contact at other novel sites in the EGFR promoter even when TAD-I is inactivated; these sites are used by both intact and TAD-I mutated GOF p53 and might reflect redundancy in GOF p53 mechanisms for EGFR transactivation. Thus, the oncogenic action of GOF p53 in lung cancer is highly dependent on transactivation of the EGFR promoter via a novel transcriptional mechanism involving coordinated interactions of TFs, HATs and GOF p53.

SOX30, a novel epigenetic silenced tumor suppressor, promotes tumor cell apoptosis by transcriptional activating p53 in lung cancer.

Although members of SOX family have been well documented for their essential roles in embryonic development, cell proliferation and disease, the functional role and molecular mechanism of SOX30 in cancer are largely unexplored. Here, we first identified SRY-box containing gene 30 (SOX30) as a novel preferentially methylated gene using genome-wide methylation screening. SOX30 hypermethylation was detected in 100% of lung cancer cell lines (9/9) and 70.83% (85/120) of primary lung tumor tissues compared with none (0/20) of normal and 8.0% (2/25) of peri-tumoral lung tissues (P<0.01). SOX30 was expressed in normal and peri-tumoral lung tissues in which SOX30 was unmethylated, but was silenced or downregulated in lung cancer cell lines and primary lung tumor tissues harboring a hypermethylated SOX30. De-methylation experiments further confirmed that silence of SOX30 was regulated by its hypermethylation. Ectopic expression of SOX30 induces cancer cell apoptosis with inhibiting proliferation in vitro and represses tumor formation in vivo, whereas knockdown of SOX30 demonstrates a reversed effect both in vitro and in vivo. At the molecular level, the antitumorigenic effect of SOX30 is mediated by directly binding to CACTTTG (+115 to +121) of p53 promoter region and activating p53 transcription, suggesting that SOX30 is a novel transcriptional activating factor of p53. Indeed, blockade of p53 attenuates the tumor inhibition of SOX30. Overall, these findings demonstrate that SOX30 is a novel epigenetic silenced tumor suppressor acting through direct regulation of p53 transcription and expression. This study provides novel insights on the mechanism of tumorigenesis in lung cancer.

Abstract 1153: Stromal FoxM1 and p53 in lung cancer as mediators of tumor progression, metastatic spread and chemo-resistance

Abstract Introduction: Insight into the processes of tumor initiation and progression as well as metastatic spread and response to therapies requires studies that take into consideration the stromal and epithelial components of tumors. Both FoxM1 and p53 have a major role in the progression, metastasis and chemo-resistance of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). p53 is a well-recognized tumor-suppressor gene, commonly mutated in NSCLC and correlated with tumor aggressiveness. An anti-tumor role of p53 in the stroma has been demonstrated by us and others. p53 is reported to suppress FoxM1 transcription. FoxM1 is an oncogene, contributing to lung cancer progression and metastatic spread. Little is known about the role of FoxM1 in cancer's micro-environment. We hypothesized that tumor-induced-downregulation of p53 and upregulation of FoxM1 in the stromal compartments promotes lung cancer progression, metastatic spread and chemo-resistance. Materials and Methods: Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and normal fibroblasts (NFs) were produced from fresh lung tumor specimens. Cell lines and primary cells were grown in standard tissue culture conditions. Co-cultures were performed using transwell culture systems. DNA damage was induced by cisplatin treatment. Expression levels of mRNA and proteins were tested by real-time RT-PCR and western blots. Results: We have found FoxM1 levels to be higher in primary lung CAFs compared to NFs. In addition, CAFs that were treated with conditioned media of transformed epithelial cells showed down-regulation of stromal-p53 and up-regulation of FoxM1, in DNA damage conditions. mRNA levels of FoxM1 remain stable. While cancer-cells-CM up-regulate FoxM1 in CAFs, it was found to down-regulates it in NFs, suggesting both cancer and CAFs have evolved a unique mechanism of FoxM1 induction in stroma. In order to examine a possible paracrine effect between p53 levels in the stroma, and FoxM1 levels in tumor cells, we co-cultivated fibroblasts knocked-down for p53 with lung cancer cells and found up-regulation of FoxM1 the tumor cells. Summary: We demonstrate up-regulation of stromal FoxM1 by cancer-secreted-factors as well as by stable CAFs modifications, concomitantly to stromal p53 down-regulation. High stromal FoxM1 may promote tumor cells aggressiveness, similarly to low stromal p53, possibly being downstream to p53. Elaboration of these pathways will deepen our understanding of lung cancer and suggest novel therapeutic targets. Citation Format: Iris Kamer, Inbal Daniel, Gili Perry, Amir Onn, Jair Bar. Stromal FoxM1 and p53 in lung cancer as mediators of tumor progression, metastatic spread and chemo-resistance. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1153. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1153

Gain-of-Function Activity of Mutant p53 in Lung Cancer through Up-Regulation of Receptor Protein Tyrosine Kinase Axl

p53 mutations are present in up to 70% of lung cancer. Cancer cells with p53 mutations, in general, grow more aggressively than those with wild-type p53 or no p53. Expression of tumor-derived mutant p53 in cells leads to up-regulated expression of genes that may affect cell growth and oncogenesis. In our study of this aggressive phenotype, we have investigated the receptor protein tyrosine kinase Axl, which is up-regulated by p53 mutants at both RNA and protein levels in H1299 lung cancer cells expressing mutants p53-R175H, -R273H, and -D281G. Knockdown of endogenous mutant p53 levels in human lung cancer cells H1048 (p53-R273C) and H1437 (p53-R267P) led to a reduction in the level of Axl as well. This effect on Axl expression is refractory to the mutations at positions 22 and 23 of p53, suggesting that p53's transactivation domain may not play a critical role in the up-regulation of Axl gene expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays carried out with acetylated histone antibodies demonstrated induced histone acetylation on the Axl promoter region by mutant p53. Direct mutant p53 nucleation on the Axl promoter was demonstrated by ChIP assays using antibodies against p53. The Axl promoter has a p53/p63 binding site, which however is not required for mutant p53-mediated transactivation. Knockdown of Axl by Axl-specific RNAi caused a reduction of gain-of-function (GOF) activities, reducing the cell growth rate and motility rate in lung cancer cells expressing mutant p53. This indicates that for lung cancer cell lines with mutant p53, GOF activities are mediated in part through Axl.

Abstract 2541: Effect of carcinogen acrolein on DNA repair and mutagenic susceptibility.

Abstract Lung cancer death is the number one cause of cancer death in the United States. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer. Cigarette smoke (CS) contains more than 60 human carcinogens. Our early work has demonstrated that acrolein (Acr), one of the most abundant aldehydes in CS, reacts with DNA to form α- and α-hydroxy-1, N2-cyclic propano-dG adducts (α-Acr-dG and α-Acr-dG). The distribution of Acr-dG in the p53 gene coincides with lung cancer p53 mutational spectrum. Acr-dG adducts induce mainly G to T and G to A mutations that are similar to the mutation signature found in the p53 gene in lung cancer. We have also found that Acr inhibits DNA repair. Therefore, we concluded that Acr is a major etiological agent for CS related lung cancer. In this study, we found that Acr-dG adducts are poorly repaired in Acr treated normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. Intriguingly, NHBE cell lysates are competent in carrying out in vitro repair synthesis assay using Acr-modified as well as UV-irradiated DNA as substrates. These results indicate that Acr treatment impairs DNA repair function. We found that Acr not only inhibits nucleotide excision repair (NER), it also inhibits base excision repair (BER) and mismatch repair (MMR). Acr does not change the expression of XPA, XPC, hOGG1, PMS2 or MLH1 genes. However, Acr causes a reduction of XPA, XPC, hOGG1, PMS2 and MLH1 proteins and that this effect can be neutralized by the proteosome inhibitor, MG132. We further found that Acr treatment enhances both bulky and oxidative DNA damage-induced mutagenesis. These results indicate that Acr not only damages DNA, but can also modify DNA repair proteins and further cause degradation of these modified repair proteins. We propose that these two detrimental effects contribute to Acr mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2541. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2541

Gain-of-function mutant p53 upregulates CXC chemokines and enhances cell migration

The role of dominant transforming p53 in carcinogenesis is poorly understood. Our previous data suggested that aberrant p53 proteins can enhance tumorigenesis and metastasis. Here, we examined potential mechanisms through which gain-of-function (GOF) p53 proteins can induce motility. Cells expressing GOF p53 -R175H, -R273H and -D281G showed enhanced migration, which was reversed by RNA interference (RNAi) or transactivation-deficient mutants. In cells with engineered or endogenous p53 mutants, enhanced migration was reduced by downregulation of nuclear factor-kappaB2, a GOF p53 target. We found that GOF p53 proteins upregulate CXC-chemokine expression, the inflammatory mediators that contribute to multiple aspects of tumorigenesis. Elevated expression of CXCL5, CXCL8 and CXCL12 was found in cells expressing oncogenic p53. Transcription was elevated as CXCL5 and CXCL8 promoter activity was higher in cells expressing GOF p53, whereas wild-type p53 repressed promoter activity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed enhanced presence of acetylated histone H3 on the CXCL5 promoter in H1299/R273H cells, in agreement with increased transcriptional activity of the promoter, whereas RNAi-mediated repression of CXCL5 inhibited cell migration. Consistent with this, knockdown of the endogenous mutant p53 in lung cancer or melanoma cells reduced CXCL5 expression and cell migration. Furthermore, short hairpin RNA knockdown of mutant p53 in MDA-MB-231 cells reduced expression of a number of key targets, including several chemokines and other inflammatory mediators. Finally, CXCL5 expression was also elevated in lung tumor samples containing GOF p53, indicating relevance to human cancer. The data suggest a mechanistic link between GOF p53 proteins and chemokines in enhanced cell motility.

Abstract 4700: Acrolein-deoxyguanosine DNA adduct formation and lung cancer

Abstract Cigarette smoke (CS) contains 1,000-10,000 fold more acrolein (Acr) and crotonaldehyde (Crot) than polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These aldehydes can induce propanoldeoxyguanosine (propanol-dG) DNA adducts formation in cultured normal human lung epithelial cells. Previously, we have found that the distribution of Acr-dG in the p53 gene coincides with the lung cancer p53 mutational spectrum of cigarette smokers, and that Acr-dG induces similar level of G to T transversion and G to A transition mutations as in lung cancer of cigarette smokers. Hence, we have proposed that Acr is a major etiological agent of CS related lung cancer. We developed a 32P-postlabelling method in combination with 2D TLC/HPLC method to quantify propanol-dG formation in human lung tissue. To date we have determined Acr-dG and Crot-dG in the lung tissue of cigarette smokers (n=27) and nonsmokers (n=25) with lung cancer. We found that 1) both α- and γ-Acr-dG are formed in lung tissues of smokers and nonsmokers, and the level of these two types of adduct in lung tissue varies from 10-4,510, and 0-1,900 fmole/μmole, respectively; and 2) smokers appear to have a higher level of γ-Acr-dG than nonsmokers although the differences have not reached statistical significance (p=0.1854); 3) the level of Crot-dG in smokers is significant higher than that in nonsmokers (p=0.0279). These results indicate a substantial amount of Acr-dG and Crot-dG formed in lung tissue of lung cancer. Key words: α, β-unsaturated aldehydes, cigarette smoking, DNA adducts, lung cancer. Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010 because the presenter was unable to attend. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4700.

Comprendre la mutagenèse somatique grâce à la cartographie des dommages à l’ADN

Somatic mutation theory explains how DNA damage can lead to the malignant transformation of cells. It therefore elucidates the connection between genotoxic agents and cancers. Mutational spectra, which tend to be characteristic of a cancer type, are available for certain genes like p53 which is frequently mutated in tumors. A mutational spectrum could therefore be the signature of the genotoxic agent(s) at the origin of the malignant transformation. Ligation-mediated PCR (LMPCR) is a genomic sequencing method that can be used for the mapping of DNA damage at nucleotide resolution. Such a mapping can then be compared to a mutational spectrum to test the hypothesis that implies one agent can cause mutations into one cancer type. LMPCR has been used this way to map DNA damage generated by different UV wavelengths. The frequently damaged sites following UVB irradiation correlate with the mutational spectrum of p53 in skin cancer. Similarly, BPDE, the activated form of the benzo[a]pyrene present in tobacco smoke, generates frequent adducts at sites corresponding to mutation hotspots of p53 in lung cancers. Still, the correlation between BPDE damage sites and p53 mutations is not perfect and this suggests a role of other genotoxic substances that are also present in tobacco smoke, such as the nitrosamine NNK. Finally, and beyond this objective of better understanding somatic mutagenesis, LMPCR is commonly used whenever DNA damage frequency and/or repair is to be investigated.

The pattern of p53 mutations caused by PAH o-quinones is driven by 8-oxo-dGuo formation while the spectrum of mutations is determined by biological selection for dominance.

PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are suspect lung cancer carcinogens that must be metabolically converted into DNA-reactive metabolites. P4501A1/P4501B1 plus epoxide hydrolase activate PAH to (+/-)- anti-benzo[ a]pyrene diol epoxide ((+/-)- anti-BPDE), which causes bulky DNA adducts. Alternatively, aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) convert intermediate PAH trans-dihydrodiols to o-quinones, which cause DNA damage by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). In lung cancer, the types or pattern of mutations in p53 are predominantly G to T transversions. The locations of these mutations form a distinct spectrum characterized by single point mutations in a number of hotspots located in the DNA binding domain. One route to the G to T transversions is via oxidative DNA damage. An RP-HPLC-ECD assay was used to detect the formation of 8-oxo-dGuo in p53 cDNA exposed to representative quinones, BP-7,8-dione, BA-3,4-dione, and DMBA-3,4-dione under redox cycling conditions. Concurrently, a yeast reporter system was used to detect mutations in the same cDNA samples. Nanomolar concentrations of PAH o-quinones generated 8-oxo-dGuo (detected by HPLC-ECD) in a concentration dependent manner that correlated in a linear fashion with mutagenic frequency. By contrast, micromolar concentrations of (+/-)- anti-BPDE generated (+)- trans- anti-BPDE-N (2)-dGuo adducts (detected by stable-isotope dilution LC/MS methodology) in p53 cDNA that correlated in a linear fashion with mutagenic frequency, but no 8-oxo-dGuo was detected. Previous studies found that mutations observed with PAH o-quinones were predominately G to T transversions and those observed with (+/-)- anti-BPDE were predominately G to C transversions. However, mutations at guanine bases observed with either PAH-treatment occurred randomly throughout the DNA-binding domain of p53. Here, we find that when the mutants were screened for dominance, the dominant mutations clustered at or near hotspots primarily at the protein-DNA interface, whereas the recessive mutations are scattered throughout the DNA binding domain without resembling the spectra observed in cancer. These observations, if extended to mammalian cells, suggest that mutagenesis can drive the pattern of mutations but that biological selection for dominant mutations drives the spectrum of mutations observed in p53 in lung cancer.

Lung-specific expression of dominant-negative mutant p53 in transgenic mice increases spontaneous and benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung cancer.

Mutations in the p53 gene have been implicated to play an important role in the development of various human cancers. To evaluate the importance of p53 in lung cancer, a transgenic mouse model was established by utilizing the Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) promoter to target the expression of a dominant-negative mutant form of p53 (dnp53) in the lung. In two transgenic CCSP-dnp53 founder lines, the dnp53 protein was expressed exclusively in the lungs. The incidence of spontaneous lung cancer in 18-month-old transgenic mice was 45%, whereas that in age-matched control mice was 20%. The relative risk of lung tumors in CCSP-dnp53 mice was 2.3 times that of wild-type mice (exact confidence limits of 0.69, 17.5). In addition to the increased incidence of spontaneous lung tumor, these mice were more susceptible to the development of lung adenocarcinoma after exposure to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). Six months after intratracheal instillation of benzo(a)pyrene, the tumor incidence in wild-type and CCSP-dnp53 mice was 39% and 73%, respectively. The risk of lung tumors was 25.3 times greater in BaP-treated mice adjusted for transgene expression (95% confidence limits of 3.29, 678, mid-p corrected). These results suggest that p53 function is important for protecting mice from both spontaneous and BaP-induced lung cancers.

Reactive oxygen species generated by PAH o-quinones cause change-in-function mutations in p53.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in tobacco smoke may cause human lung cancer via metabolic activation to ultimate carcinogens. p53 is one of the most commonly mutated tumor suppressor genes in this disease. An analysis of the p53 mutational database shows that G to T transversions are a signature mutation of lung cancer. Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) activate PAH trans-dihydrodiol proximate carcinogens to yield their corresponding reactive and redox-active o-quinones, e.g., benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dione (BP-7,8-dione). We employed a yeast reporter system to determine whether PAH o-quinones or the ROS they generate cause change-in-function mutations in p53. N-Methyl-N-nitroso-N'-nitro-guanidine, a standard alkylating mutagen was used as a positive control. MNNG caused a dose-dependent increase in mutant yeast colonies and at the highest concentrations 8-14% of the yeast colonies were mutated and were characterized by G:C to A:T transitions in the p53 DNA binding domain. Treatment of p53 cDNA with micromolar concentrations of (+/-)-anti-7,8-dihydroxy-9alpha,10alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-benzo[a]pyrene, (anti-BPDE, an ultimate carcinogen) or sub-micromolar concentrations of BP-7,8-dione in the presence of redox-cycling conditions (NADPH and CuCl(2)) also caused p53 mutations in a dose-dependent manner. We found that no mutants were observed with PAH o-quinones or NADPH alone. p53 mutagenesis by BP-7,8-dione was attenuated by ROS scavengers and completely abrogated by a combination of superoxide dismutase and catalase, indicating that both superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals were the responsible mutagens. The bulk of the mutations detected were single-point mutations and were not random in occurrence. Over 46% of BP-7,8-dione-induced mutations were G:C to T:A transversions, consistent with the formation of 8-oxo-dGuo or its secondary oxidation products. In addition, 25% of these mutations were at hotspots in p53 which are known to be mutated in lung cancer. Together these data suggest that PAH o-quinones generate an endogenous mutagen (ROS) which leads to p53 inactivation. These observations provide an alternative route to G to T transversions that dominate in p53 in lung cancer.

P53 mutations and codon 213 polymorphism of p53 in lung cancers of former uranium miners.

There is a high prevalence of G-->T transversions of p53 in lung cancers of smokers. One study has reported a special "hotspot" mutation at codon 249 of p53 in lung cancers of former uranium miners. The aim of our study was to look for mutational spectra of p53 in former German uranium miners with lung cancers. We investigated 16 patients with lung cancer who had worked as uranium miners in Germany and 13 lung cancer patients without a mining history of the same region. By means of the polymerase chain reaction and sequencing we looked for mutations in exons 5 7 of the p53 gene. We could not find any suggestion of hotspot mutations. The only G-->T mutation in former uranium miners was detected in the only nonsmoker. In 3 patients (19% of the total) we found a codon 213/3 polymorphism. The results indicate that G-->T transversions do not seem to be very common mutations in p53 in lung cancers probably caused by radiation. Therefore, p53 may be mutated early in lung cancer development if radiation exposure is a critical factor in carcinogenesis. In accordance with studies of thyroid cancer patients in the Chernobyl region, our results may indicate an overrepresentation of codon 213/3 polymorphism in p53 in radiation-caused cancers.

A novel adenoviral vector expressing human Fas/CD95/APO-1 enhances p53-mediated apoptosis.

Recent evidence suggests an intriguing link between p53 and the Fas pathway. To evaluate this association further, we utilized a recombinant adenoviral vector (AdWTp53) to overexpress wild-type p53 in lung cancer (A549, H23, EKVX and HOP92) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) cell lines and observed an increase in the Fas/CD95/APO-1 protein levels. Furthermore, this increase correlated with the sensitivity of the cell lines to p53-mediated cytotoxicity. To examine the effects of Fas over-expression in cells resistant to p53 over-expression, we constructed AdFas, an adenoviral vector capable of transferring functional human Fas to cancer cells. Interestingly, infection of p53-resistant MCF-7 cells with AdFas sensitized them to p53-mediated apoptosis. These studies indicate that combined over-expression of Fas and wild-type p53 may be an effective cancer gene therapy approach, especially in cells relatively resistant to p53 over-expression.

The Molecular Epidemiology of Oncoproteins: Serum p53 Protein in Patients With Asbestosis

The Molecular Epidemiology of Oncoproteins: Serum p53 Protein in Patients With Asbestosis

P53 accumulation and proliferating-cell nuclear antigen expression in human lung cancer.

Mutations in the p53 gene are currently the commonest genetic alterations in human malignant tumors, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Alterations of the protein induced by gene mutations enables the mutant protein to become more stable, resulting in the accumulation of P53 in quantities detectable by immunohistochemistry. Although previous studies document the accumulation of P53 in lung cancer, there is little information regarding the usual frequency of accumulation based on a comprehensive number of lung tumors. A total of 328 paraffin-embedded lung carcinoma specimens were analyzed for P53 accumulation and for the expression of the proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) by standard immunohistochemistry. Among 49 SCLC, 35% were positive for p53 and 51% were positive for PCNA. Out of 279 NSCLC, 43% showed a positive P53 immunoreaction and 72% displayed detectable amounts of PCNA. In squamous-cell carcinomas a statistically significant increased accumulation of P53 was found compared to adenocarcinomas (P = 0.001). Among the 233 PCNA-positive tumors the relative number of P53-positive specimens was higher compared to the total number of tumors. Since immunohistochemical investigations should contribute to the improvement of the clinical diagnosis and treatment or give information on the prognosis, we conclude from our results that it seems to be legitimate to assess the P53 status exclusively in the specimens positive for PCNA. Immunohistochemical investigations under consideration of the PCNA status yielded good and fast recognition of p53 mutations leading to intracellular P53 protein accumulation.