Identification of a sequence element from p53 that signals for Mdm2-targeted degradation

High-Throughput Discovery of Substrate Peptide Sequences for E3 Ubiquitin Ligases Using a cDNA Display Method

Cells utilize ubiquitin as a posttranslational protein modifier to convey various signals such as proteasomal degradation. The dysfunction of ubiquitylation or following proteasomal degradation can give rise to the accumulation and aggregation of improperly ubiquitylated proteins, which is known to be a general causation of many neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, the characterization of substrate peptide sequences of E3 ligases is crucial in biological and pharmaceutical sciences. In this study, we developed a novel high-throughput screening system for substrate peptide sequences of E3 ligases using a cDNA display method, which enables covalent conjugation between peptide sequences and their corresponding cDNA sequences. First, we focused on the MDM2 E3 ligase and its known peptide substrate as a model to establish the screening method, and confirmed that cDNA display method was compatible with in vitro ubiquitylation. Then, we demonstrated identification of MDM2 substrate sequences from random libraries to identify a novel motif (VKFTGGQLA). Bioinformatics analysis of the hit sequences was performed to gain insight about endogenous substrate proteins.

miR-114 Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulates the Metastasis of Prostate Cancer Cells by Targeting P53 Gene

Prostate cancer (PCa) in the elderly is a malignancy primary to the prostate and a common tumor in the male urogenital line. However, no effective treatment has been developed for prostate cancer. Previous studies have shown that BMSCs-derived miR-114 can inhibit tumor cell development. Therefore, we intend to determine the role of BMSCs-derived miR-114 and p53 in PCa. Human prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) and BMSCs were inoculated into 12-well plates. After interfering the expression of miR-114 in BMSCs, the culture medium was collected and used to treat LNCaP followed by analysis of cell behaviors. miR-114 inhibited p53 level in BMSC-derived exosomes, thereby inhibiting the proliferation, invasion and migration of PCa cells, and enhancing cell apoptosis. In conclusion, BMSCs-derived miR-114 inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion and promotes apoptosis of prostate cancer cells by down-regulating p53.

Tumor suppressor p53: Biology, signaling pathways, and therapeutic targeting

TP53 is the most commonly mutated gene in human cancer with over 100,000 literature citations in PubMed. This is a heavily studied pathway in cancer biology and oncology with a history that dates back to 1979 when p53 was discovered. The p53 pathway is a complex cellular stress response network with multiple diverse inputs and downstream outputs relevant to its role as a tumor suppressor pathway. While inroads have been made in understanding the biology and signaling in the p53 pathway, the p53 family, transcriptional readouts, and effects of an array of mutants, the pathway remains challenging in the realm of clinical translation. While the role of mutant p53 as a prognostic factor is recognized, the therapeutic modulation of its wild-type or mutant activities remain a work-in-progress. This review covers current knowledge about the biology, signaling mechanisms in the p53 pathway and summarizes advances in therapeutic development.

A CD24-p53 axis contributes to African American prostate cancer disparities

BACKGROUND

Using a functional analysis of prostate cancer cells, we found a CD24-dependent inactivation of mutant p53, but the clinical significance of this observation remained uncertain. Here, we validated these results with samples of human prostate cancer and explored the role of a CD24-p53 axis in racial disparities of prostate cancer.

METHODS

Samples of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded prostate cancer from 141 European Americans (EAs) and 147 African Americans (AAs) in two independent sample cohorts were assessed for protein expression of CD24, mutant p53, mouse double minute 2 human homolog (MDM2), and cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (ARF) using immunohistochemical analyses. All samples were analyzed for TP53^R175H and TP53^R273H .

RESULTS

CD24, mutant p53, MDM2, and ARF proteins were expressed in 55%, 24%, 39%, and 68% of prostate cancer samples, respectively. CD24 and mutant p53 were present more frequently in late-stage and metastatic prostate cancer. The presence of CD24 was associated with a greater than fourfold risk of metastasis, which included lymph node and distant metastases. H score analysis showed positive correlations of CD24 expression with mutant p53 (r = .308, P < .001) and MDM2 (r = .227, P = .004). There was a negative correlation for CD24 with ARF (r = -.280, P < .001). A racial disparity was evident for CD24 (AAs/EAs: 64% vs 47%; P = .004) but not for mutant p53 (AA/EA: 28% vs 21%; P = .152). In 32 CD24⁺ /mutant p53⁺ cases, a TP53^R273H mutation was found in five cases, but no TP53^R175H mutation was found.

CONCLUSION

The CD24-p53 axis may contribute to aggressive and metastatic prostate cancers, especially those of AAs. This observation enhances understanding of the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and its associated racial disparities.

Identification of a p53-based portable degron based on the MDM2-p53 binding region

In recent years the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) has garnered increasing interest as a target for chemotherapeutics. Due to the success of the proteasome inhibitors Bortezomib and Carfilzomib in the treatment of multiple myeloma, several new compounds have been developed to target E3 ubiquitin ligases and the proteasome in numerous human cancers. This has increased the need for new analytical methods to precisely measure intracellular enzyme activity in cells. A key component of a desired analytical method is a substrate that is capable of rapid intracellular ubiquitination yet easily incorporated into the next generation of more sophisticated UPS reporters. Portable degradation sequences, or degrons, have the ability to bind to E3 ligases and promote substrate ubiquitination when the sequence is presented in isolation or appended to other entities such as fluorescent peptide-based reporters. Previous work identified an E3 ligase (MDM2)-binding element at p53 amino acids 92-112, which was later demonstrated to be rapidly ubiquitinated in cytosolic lysates effectively functioning as a transportable degron. In this work, a shortened p53 sequence within amino acids 92-112 that displayed rapid ubiquitination kinetics was identified. A nine-member peptide library was synthesized using sequence elements of various sizes and lengths, all based on the initial 22 amino acid long sequence, containing a single ubiquitination site lysine. The ubiquitination kinetics were determined using a combination of gel electrophoresis and analytical high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to rank the members of the library and identify the optimal ubiquitination sequence. This analysis identified the five amino acid sequence, KGSYG, corresponding to residues 105-108 with an added N-terminal lysine, as a portable degron since this sequence demonstrated the most rapid ubiquitination kinetics.

Silencing of CD24 Enhances the PRIMA-1-Induced Restoration of Mutant p53 in Prostate Cancer Cells

PURPOSE

In prostate cancer cells, there is CD24-dependent inactivation of mutant p53, but the mechanism and its significance remain largely unknown. Here, we validated this observation and explored the therapeutic potential of targeting CD24 in TP53 mutant prostate cancer cells.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Overall, 553 prostate cancers (522 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded and 31 frozen tissues) were assessed for protein or mRNA expression of CD24 and TP53 The effects of CD24 on p53-dependent transcriptional regulation, cancer cell growth, the cell cycle, apoptosis, and mutant p53 restoration were also determined.

RESULTS

As determined with three sample cohorts, CD24 and p53 were not expressed in prostate epithelial cells but in prostate cancer cells in 48% of cases for CD24 and 16% of cases for p53 (mutant form). Expressions of CD24 and mutant p53 were more frequently observed in late-stage and metastatic prostate tumors. Mutant p53 accompanied with CD24 was expressed in most cases (91.6%, 76/83). Silencing of CD24 increased the transcriptional activity of p53 target genes, such as CDKNA1, VDR, and TP53INP1, leading to suppression of p53-dependent cell growth, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis in most TP53-mutant prostate cancer cells. Silencing of CD24 enhanced restoration of PRIMA-1-induced mutant p53 in endogenous TP53(P223L/V274F) DU145 cells and in PC3 cells transfected with TP53(R273H) CONCLUSIONS: In human prostate cancers, there is CD24-dependent inactivation of mutant p53. The coexpression of CD24 and p53 may help identify aggressive cancers. Targeting CD24 provides a strategy to enhance mutant p53-restoring therapies, especially in patients with TP53(R273H) prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 22(10); 2545-54. ©2015 AACR.

Molecular mechanisms underlying antiproliferative and differentiating responses of hepatocarcinoma cells to subthermal electric stimulation

Capacitive Resistive Electric Transfer (CRET) therapy applies currents of 0.4–0.6 MHz to treatment of inflammatory and musculoskeletal injuries. Previous studies have shown that intermittent exposure to CRET currents at subthermal doses exert cytotoxic or antiproliferative effects in human neuroblastoma or hepatocarcinoma cells, respectively. It has been proposed that such effects would be mediated by cell cycle arrest and by changes in the expression of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. The present work focuses on the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in CRET-induced cytostasis and investigates the possibility that the cellular response to the treatment extends to other phenomena, including induction of apoptosis and/or of changes in the differentiation stage of hepatocarcinoma cells. The obtained results show that the reported antiproliferative action of intermittent stimulation (5 m On/4 h Off) with 0.57 MHz, sine wave signal at a current density of 50 µA/mm², could be mediated by significant increase of the apoptotic rate as well as significant changes in the expression of proteins p53 and Bcl-2. The results also revealed a significantly decreased expression of alpha-fetoprotein in the treated samples, which, together with an increased concentration of albumin released into the medium by the stimulated cells, can be interpreted as evidence of a transient cytodifferentiating response elicited by the current. The fact that this type of electrical stimulation is capable of promoting both, differentiation and cell cycle arrest in human cancer cells, is of potential interest for a possible extension of the applications of CRET therapy towards the field of oncology.

A comparative analysis of the ubiquitination kinetics of multiple degrons to identify an ideal targeting sequence for a proteasome reporter

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is the primary pathway responsible for the recognition and degradation of misfolded, damaged, or tightly regulated proteins. The conjugation of a polyubiquitin chain, or polyubiquitination, to a target protein requires an increasingly diverse cascade of enzymes culminating with the E3 ubiquitin ligases. Protein recognition by an E3 ligase occurs through a specific sequence of amino acids, termed a degradation sequence or degron. Recently, degrons have been incorporated into novel reporters to monitor proteasome activity; however only a limited few degrons have successfully been incorporated into such reporters. The goal of this work was to evaluate the ubiquitination kinetics of a small library of portable degrons that could eventually be incorporated into novel single cell reporters to assess proteasome activity. After an intensive literary search, eight degrons were identified from proteins recognized by a variety of E3 ubiquitin ligases and incorporated into a four component degron-based substrate to comparatively calculate ubiquitination kinetics. The mechanism of placement of multiple ubiquitins on the different degron-based substrates was assessed by comparing the data to computational models incorporating first order reaction kinetics using either multi-monoubiquitination or polyubiquitination of the degron-based substrates. A subset of three degrons was further characterized to determine the importance of the location and proximity of the ubiquitination site lysine with respect to the degron. Ultimately, this work identified three candidate portable degrons that exhibit a higher rate of ubiquitination compared to peptidase-dependent degradation, a desired trait for a proteasomal targeting motif.

A novel Aurora-A-mediated phosphorylation of p53 inhibits its interaction with MDM2

PURPOSE

Crosstalk between Aurora-A kinase and p53 has been proposed. While the genetic amplification of Aurora-A has been observed in many human cancers, how p53 is regulated by Aurora-A remains ambiguous. In this study, Aurora-A-mediated phosphorylation of p53 was analyzed by mass spectrometry in order to identify a new phosphorylation site. Subsequently, the functional consequences of such phosphorylation were examined.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

In vitro phosphorylation of p53 by Aurora-A was performed and the phosphorylated protein was then digested with trypsin and enriched for phosphopeptides by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. Subsequently, a combination of β-elimination and Michael addition was applied to the phosphopeptides in order to facilitate the identification of phosphorylation sites by MS. The functional consequences of the novel phosphorylation of p53 on the protein-protein interactions, protein stability and transactivation activity were then examined using co-immunoprecipitation, Western blotting and reporter assays.

RESULTS

Ser-106 of p53 was identified as a novel site phosphorylated by Aurora-A. A serine-to-alanine mutation at this site was found to attenuate Aurora-A-mediated phosphorylation in vitro. In addition, phosphate-sensitive Phos-tag SDS-PAGE was used to confirm that the Ser-106 of p53 is in vivo phosphorylated by Aurora-A. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation studies suggested that Ser-106 phosphorylation of p53 decreases its interaction with MDM2 and prolongs the half-life of p53.

CONCLUSIONS

The inhibition of the interaction between p53 and MDM2 by a novel Aurora-A-mediated p53 phosphorylation was identified in this study and this provides important information for further investigations into the interaction between p53 and Aurora-A in terms of cancer biology.

Proteasomal degradation of p53 by human papillomavirus E6 oncoprotein relies on the structural integrity of p53 core domain

The E6 oncoprotein produced by high-risk mucosal HPV stimulates ubiquitinylation and proteasome-dependent degradation of the tumour suppressor p53 via formation of a trimeric complex comprising E6, p53, and E6-AP. p53 is also degraded by its main cellular regulator MDM2. The main binding site of p53 to MDM2 is situated in the natively unfolded N-terminal region of p53. By contrast, the regions of p53 implicated in the degradation by viral E6 are not fully identified to date. Here we generated a series of mutations (Y103G, Y107G, T155A, T155V, T155D, L264A, L265A) targeting the central folded core domain of p53 within a region opposite to its DNA-binding site. We analysed by in vitro and in vivo assays the impact of these mutations on p53 degradation mediated by viral E6 oncoprotein. Whereas all mutants remained susceptible to MDM2-mediated degradation, several of them (Y103G, Y107G, T155D, L265A) became resistant to E6-mediated degradation, confirming previous works that pointed to the core domain as an essential region for the degradation of p53. In parallel, we systematically checked the impact of the mutations on the transactivation activity of p53 as well as on the conformation of p53, analysed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), circular dichroism (CD), and antibody probing. These measurements suggested that the conformational integrity of the core domain is an essential parameter for the degradation of p53 by E6, while it is not essential for the degradation of p53 by MDM2. Thus, the intracellular stability of a protein may or may not rely on its biophysical stability depending on the degradation pathway taken into consideration.

MDM2 promotes the proteasomal degradation of p73 through the interaction with Itch in HeLa cells

It has been shown that MDM2 inhibits the transcriptional and pro-apoptotic activities of p73 but does not promote its proteasomal degradation. In this study, we found that MDM2 indirectly induces the degradation of p73 through the interaction with Itch in HeLa cells. During adriamycin (ADR)-mediated apoptosis, p53 and p73 were induced to stabilize in association with a significant reduction of MDM2 and Itch, suggesting that, in addition to Itch, MDM2 could also be involved in the stability control of p73. As expected, forced expression of MDM2 resulted in a remarkable reduction of p73. MDM2-mediated degradation of p73 was inhibited by MG-132. Intriguingly, siRNA-mediated knockdown of Itch significantly attenuated the negative effect of MDM2 on p73. Additionally, MDM2 bound to Itch in HeLa cells but not in H1299 cells. Collectively, our present findings suggest that MDM2 promotes Itch-mediated degradation of p73 through the interaction with Itch in HeLa cells.

Phosphorylation of MDMX mediated by Akt leads to stabilization and induces 14-3-3 binding

The critical tumor suppressor p53 is mutated or functionally inactivated in nearly all cancers. We have shown previously that the MDM2-MDMX complex functions as an integral unit in targeting p53 for degradation. Here we identify the small protein 14-3-3 as a binding partner of MDMX, which binds at the C terminus (Ser367) in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Importantly, we demonstrate that the serine/threonine kinase Akt mediates phosphorylation of MDMX at Ser367. This phosphorylation leads to stabilization of MDMX and consequent stabilization of MDM2. Previous studies have shown that Akt phosphorylates and stabilizes MDM2. Our data suggest that stabilization of MDMX by Akt may be an alternative mechanism by which Akt up-regulates MDM2 protein levels and exerts its oncogenic effects on p53 in tumor cells.

Crippling p53 activities via knock-in mutations in mouse models

The tumor suppressor p53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer. In vivo models have been generated using knock-in alleles in which missense mutations are introduced that mimic the kinds of mutations found in human cancers, or that abolish specific p53 functions. Critically, these studies examine the in vivo and physiological functions of p53. Studies indicate that p53 missense mutations in the DNA-binding domain identical with those inherited in the Li-Fraumeni syndrome, have distinct properties. Studies in mice with mutants that separate cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis functions of p53 show delayed onset of tumor development, suggesting that both p53 functions are crucial for suppressing tumors. Mice with mutations at post-translational modification sites exhibit subtle effects on p53 activity and tumor development, indicating a fine-tuning mechanism of p53 activity in vivo. Importantly, each mutant mouse has a distinct phenotype, suggesting diverse and exquisite mechanisms of p53 regulation in different environments, different tissues and different genetic backgrounds. The generation of these mutant p53 knock-in mice has laid the groundwork for future studies to elucidate the in vivo physiological function of mutant p53 and to examine cooperating effects in combination with other alterations.

Regulation of p53 nuclear export through sequential changes in conformation and ubiquitination

Wild-type p53 is a conformationally labile protein that undergoes nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling. MDM2-mediated ubiquitination promotes p53 nuclear export by exposing or activating a nuclear export signal (NES) in the C terminus of p53. We observed that cancer-derived p53s with a mutant (primary antibody 1620-/pAb240+) conformation localized in the cytoplasm to a greater extent and displayed increased susceptibility to ubiquitination than p53s with a more wild-type (primary antibody 1620+/pAb240-) conformation. The cytoplasmic localization of mutant p53s required the C-terminal NES and an intact ubiquitination pathway. Mutant p53 ubiquitination occurred at lysines in both the DNA-binding domain (DBD) and C terminus. Interestingly, Lys to Arg mutations that inhibited ubiquitination restored nuclear localization to mutant p53 but had no apparent effect on p53 conformation. Further studies revealed that wild-type p53, like mutant p53, is ubiquitinated by MDM2 in both the DBD and C terminus and that ubiquitination in both regions contributes to its nuclear export. MDM2 binding can induce a conformational change in wild-type p53, but this conformational change is insufficient to promote p53 nuclear export in the absence of MDM2 ubiquitination activity. Taken together, these results support a stepwise model for mutant and wild-type p53 nuclear export. In this model, the conformational change induced by either the cancer-derived mutation or MDM2 binding precedes p53 ubiquitination. The addition of ubiquitin to DBD and C-terminal lysines then promotes nuclear export via the C-terminal NES.

MDM2 binding induces a conformational change in p53 that is opposed by heat-shock protein 90 and precedes p53 proteasomal degradation

p53 protein conformation is an important determinant of its localization and activity. Changes in p53 conformation can be monitored by reactivity with wild-type conformation-specific (pAb-1620) or mutant conformation-specific (pAb-240) p53 antibodies. Wild-type p53 accumulated in a mutant (pAb-240 reactive) form when its proteasome-dependent degradation was blocked during recovery from stress treatment and in cells co-expressing p53 and MDM2. This suggests that conformational change precedes wild-type p53 degradation by the proteasome. MDM2 binding to the p53 N terminus could induce a conformational change in wild-type p53. Interestingly, this conformational change was opposed by heat-shock protein 90 and did not require the MDM2 RING-finger domain and p53 ubiquitination. Finally, ubiquitinated p53 accumulated in a pAb-240 reactive form when p53 degradation was blocked by proteasome inhibition, and a p53-ubiquitin fusion protein displayed a mutant-only conformation in MDM2-null cells. These results support a model in which MDM2 binding induces a conformational change that is opposed by heat-shock protein 90 and precedes p53 ubiquitination. The covalent attachment of ubiquitin may "lock" p53 in a mutant conformation in the absence of MDM2-binding and prior to its degradation by the proteasome.

P53 and p73 differ in their ability to inhibit glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transcriptional activity

Background

p53 is a tumor suppressor and potent inhibitor of cell growth. P73 is highly similar to p53 at both the amino acid sequence and structural levels. Given their similarities, it is important to determine whether p53 and p73 function in similar or distinct pathways. There is abundant evidence for negative cross-talk between glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and p53. Neither physical nor functional interactions between GR and p73 have been reported. In this study, we examined the ability of p53 and p73 to interact with and inhibit GR transcriptional activity.

Results

We show that both p53 and p73 can bind GR, and that p53 and p73-mediated transcriptional activity is inhibited by GR co-expression. Wild-type p53 efficiently inhibited GR transcriptional activity in cells expressing both proteins. Surprisingly, however, p73 was either unable to efficiently inhibit GR, or increased GR activity slightly. To examine the basis for this difference, a series of p53:p73 chimeric proteins were generated in which corresponding regions of either protein have been swapped. Replacing N- and C-terminal sequences in p53 with the corresponding sequences from p73 prevented it from inhibiting GR. In contrast, replacing p73 N- and C-terminal sequences with the corresponding sequences from p53 allowed it to efficiently inhibit GR. Differences in GR inhibition were not related to differences in transcriptional activity of the p53:p73 chimeras or their ability to bind GR.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that both N- and C-terminal regions of p53 and p73 contribute to their regulation of GR. The differential ability of p53 and p73 to inhibit GR is due, in part, to differences in their N-terminal and C-terminal sequences.

Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifications of the p53 family

Regulation of p53 by the ubiquitin-proteasomal pathway has been studied considerably. Studies have also demonstrated that the ubiquitin-like proteins SUMO-1 and NEDD8 modify p53. Similarly, p63 and p73 are subject to regulation by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifications, and perturbations of these pathways in the regulation of the p53 family have been implicated in tumorigenesis and developmental abnormalities. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the regulation of the p53 family by covalent modification by ubiquitin, SUMO-1, and NEDD8.

c-Abl interacts with the WAVE2 signaling complex to induce membrane ruffling and cell spreading

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome-related protein WAVE2 promotes Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization downstream of Rho-GTPase activation. The Abelson-interacting protein-1 (Abi-1) forms the core of the WAVE2 complex and is necessary for proper stimulation of WAVE2 activity. Here we have shown that the Abl-tyrosine kinase interacts with the WAVE2 complex and that Abl kinase activity facilitates interaction between Abl and WAVE2 complex members. We have characterized various interactions between Abl and members of the WAVE2 complex and revealed that Abi-1 promotes interaction between Abl and WAVE2 members. We have demonstrated that Abl-dependent phosphorylation of WAVE2 is necessary for its activation in vivo, which is highlighted by the findings that RNA interference of WAVE2 expression in Abl/Arg-/- cells has no additive effect on the amount of membrane ruffling. Furthermore, Abl phosphorylates WAVE2 on tyrosine 150, and WAVE2-deficient cells rescued with a Y150F mutant fail to regain their ability to ruffle and form microspikes, unlike cells rescued with wild-type WAVE2. Together, these data show that c-Abl activates WAVE2 via tyrosine phosphorylation to promote actin remodeling in vivo and that Abi-1 forms the crucial link between these two factors.

Transcriptome profiling the gills of amoebic gill disease (AGD)-affected Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.): a role for tumor suppressor p53 in AGD pathogenesis?

Neoparamoeba spp. are amphizoic amoebae with the capacity to colonize the gills of some marine fish, causing AGD. Here, the gill tissue transcriptome response of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) to AGD is described. Tanks housing Atlantic salmon were inoculated with Neoparamoeba spp. and fish sampled at time points up to 8 days postinoculation (pi.). Gill tissues were taken from AGD-affected fish, and a DNA microarray was used to compare global gene expression against tissues from AGD-unaffected fish. A total of 206 genes, representing 190 unique transcripts, were reproducibly identified as up- or downregulated in response to Neoparamoeba spp. infection. Informative transcripts having GO biological process identifiers were grouped according to function. Although a number of genes were placed into each category, no distinct patterns were observed. One Atlantic salmon cDNA that was upregulated in infected gill relative to noninfected gill at 114 and 189 h pi. showed significant identity with the Xenopus, mouse, and human anterior gradient-2 (AG-2) homologs. Two Atlantic salmon AG-2 mRNA transcripts, designated asAG-2/1 and asAG-2/2, were cloned, sequenced, and shown to be predominantly expressed in the gill, intestine, and brain of a healthy fish. In AGD-affected fish, differential asAG-2 expression was confirmed in samples used for microarray analyses as well as in AGD-affected gill tissue taken from fish in an independent experiment. The asAG-2 upregulation was restricted to AGD lesions relative to unaffected tissue from the same gill arch, while p53 tumor suppressor protein mRNA was concurrently downregulated in AGD lesions. Differential expression of p53-regulated transcripts, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene-45beta (GADD45beta) in AGD lesions, suggests a role for p53 in AGD pathogenesis. Thus AGD may represent a novel model for comparative analysis of p53 and p53-regulated pathways.

c-Abl regulates early growth response protein (EGR1) in response to oxidative stress

c-Abl is a tyrosine kinase that can act as a regulator of cell growth and apoptosis in response to stress. Using cell lines expressing c-Abl in an inducible manner, we identified genes whose expression was regulated by c-Abl kinase activity. Microarray analysis indicated that Early Growth Response-1 (EGR1) gene expression is induced by c-Abl kinase activity, which was confirmed at the message and protein levels. Promoter mapping experiments revealed that c-Abl utilizes three distal serum response elements (SREs) in the EGR1 promoter, which are transactivated by mitogen/extracellular receptor kinase (MEK/ERK) signaling. PD 95089, a specific inhibitor of MEK/ERK signaling, attenuated c-Abl-mediated upregulation of EGR1 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Similar results were obtained by using a dominant-negative mutant of mitogen/extracellular kinase. Significantly, hydrogen peroxide-induced EGR1 expression appears to be mediated by c-Abl, as cells expressing dominant negative c-Abl, and c-Abl-/- murine embryonic fibroblasts, are completely defective in hydrogen peroxide-induced EGR1 expression. In addition, c-Abl-induced apoptosis is partially mitigated by EGR1 activity, as cells devoid of EGR1 expression undergo reduced rates of c-Abl-induced apoptosis. Together, these results indicate that c-Abl promotes the induction of EGR1 through the MEK/ERK pathway in regulating apoptotic response to oxidative stress.

Modulation of p53 activity by IkappaBalpha: evidence suggesting a common phylogeny between NF-kappaB and p53 transcription factors

BACKGROUND

In this work we present evidence that the p53 tumor suppressor protein and NF-kappaB transcription factors could be related through common descent from a family of ancestral transcription factors regulating cellular proliferation and apoptosis. P53 is a homotetrameric transcription factor known to interact with the ankyrin protein 53BP2 (a fragment of the ASPP2 protein). NF-kappaB is also regulated by ankyrin proteins, the prototype of which is the IkappaB family. The DNA binding sequences of the two transcription factors are similar, sharing 8 out of 10 nucleotides. Interactions between the two proteins, both direct and indirect, have been noted previously and the two proteins play central roles in the control of proliferation and apoptosis.

RESULTS

Using previously published structure data, we noted a significant degree of structural alignment between p53 and NF-kappaB p65. We also determined that IkappaBalpha and p53 bind in vitro through a specific interaction in part involving the DNA binding region of p53, or a region proximal to it, and the amino terminus of IkappaBalpha independently or cooperatively with the ankyrin 3 domain of IkappaBalpha In cotransfection experiments, kappaBalpha could significantly inhibit the transcriptional activity of p53. Inhibition of p53-mediated transcription was increased by deletion of the ankyrin 2, 4, or 5 domains of IkappaBalpha Co-precipitation experiments using the stably transfected ankyrin 5 deletion mutant of kappaBalpha and endogenous wild-type p53 further support the hypothesis that p53 and IkappaBalpha can physically interact in vivo.

CONCLUSION

The aggregate results obtained using bacterially produced IkappaBalpha and p53 as well as reticulocyte lysate produced proteins suggest a correlation between in vitro co-precipitation in at least one of the systems and in vivo p53 inhibitory activity. These observations argue for a mechanism involving direct binding of IkappaBalpha to p53 in the inhibition of p53 transcriptional activity, analogous to the inhibition of NF-kappaB by kappaBalpha and p53 by 53BP2/ASPP2. These data furthermore suggest a role for ankyrin proteins in the regulation of p53 activity. Taken together, the NFkappaB and p53 proteins share similarities in structure, DNA binding sites and binding and regulation by ankyrin proteins in support of our hypothesis that the two proteins share common descent from an ancestral transcriptional factor.

Regulation of the p73 protein stability and degradation

p73, a homologue to the tumor suppressor gene p53, is involved in tumorigenesis, though its specific role remains unclear. The gene has two distinct promoters which allow the formation of two protein isoforms with opposite effects: full-length transactivating (TA) p73 shows pro-apoptotic effects, while the shorter DeltaNp73, which lacks the N-terminal transactivating domain, has an evident anti-apoptotic function. Unlike p53, the p73 gene is rarely mutated in human cancers. However, alterations in the relative levels of TA and DeltaNp73 have been shown to correlate with prognosis in several human cancers, suggesting that the fine regulation of these two isoforms is of pivotal importance in controlling proliferation and cell death. Much effort is currently focused on the elucidation of the mechanisms that differentially control TA and DeltaNp73 activity and protein stability, a process complicated by the finding that both proteins are regulated by a similar suite of complex post-translational modifications that include ubiquitination, sequential phosphorylation, prolyl-isomerization, recruitment into the PML-nuclear body (PML-NB), and acetylation. Here we shall consider the main regulatory partners of p73, with particular attention to the recently discovered Itch- and Nedd8-mediated degradation pathways, along with the emerging roles of PML, p38 MAP kinase, Pin1, and p300 in p73 transcriptional activation, and possible mechanisms for the differential regulation of the TAp73 and DeltaNp73 isoforms.

p63 and p73: Roles in Development and Tumor Formation

The tumor suppressor p53 is critically important in the cellular damage response and is the founding member of a family of proteins. All three genes regulate cell cycle and apoptosis after DNA damage. However, despite a remarkable structural and partly functional similarity among p53, p63, and p73, mouse knockout studies revealed an unexpected functional diversity among them. p63 and p73 knockouts exhibit severe developmental abnormalities but no increased cancer susceptibility, whereas this picture is reversed for p53 knockouts. Neither p63 nor p73 is the target of inactivating mutations in human cancers. Genomic organization is more complex in p63 and p73, largely the result of an alternative internal promoter generating NH2-terminally deleted dominant-negative proteins that engage in inhibitory circuits within the family. Deregulated dominant-negative p73 isoforms might play an active oncogenic role in some human cancers. Moreover, COOH-terminal extensions specific for p63 and p73 enable further unique protein-protein interactions with regulatory pathways involved in development, differentiation, proliferation, and damage response. Thus, p53 family proteins take on functions within a wide biological spectrum stretching from development (p63 and p73), DNA damage response via apoptosis and cell cycle arrest (p53, TAp63, and TAp73), chemosensitivity of tumors (p53 and TAp73), and immortalization and oncogenesis (ΔNp73).

p53 activation in chronic radiation-treated breast cancer cells: regulation of MDM2/p14ARF

Mammalian cells chronically exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) induce stress response with a tolerance to the subsequent cytotoxicity of IR. Although p53 is well documented in IR response, the signaling network causing p53 activation in chronic IR remains to be identified. Using breast carcinoma MCF+FIR cells that showed a transient radioresistance after exposure chronically to fractionated IR (FIR), the present study shows that the basal DNA binding and transcriptional activity of p53 was elevated by FIR. p53-controlled luciferase activity was strikingly induced ( approximately 7.9-fold) with little enhancement of p53/DNA binding activity ( approximately 1.3-fold). The phosphorylated p53 (Thr 55) was increased in the cytoplasm and nucleus of MCF+FIR but not in the sham-FIR control cells. On the contrary, the sham-FIR control MCF-7 cells showed a low p53 luciferase transcription ( approximately 3-fold) but a striking enhancement of p53/DNA binding (12-fold) after 5 Gy of IR. To determine the signaling elements regulating p53 activity, DNA microarray of MCF+FIR using sham-FIR MCF-7 cells as a reference demonstrated that the mRNA of p21, MDM2, and p14ARF was up-regulated. Time course Western blot analysis, however, showed no difference in p21 induction. In contrast, MDM2 that was absent in control cells and was predominantly induced by IR was not induced in MCF+FIR cells. In agreement with MDM2 inhibition, MDM2-inhibitory protein p14ARF was increased in MCF+FIR cells. In summary, these results demonstrate that up-regulation of p14ARF paralleled with MDM2 inhibition contributes to p53 accumulation in the nucleus and causes a high responsiveness of p53 in chronic IR-treated breast cancer cells.

A link between p73 transcriptional activity and p73 degradation

The p53 family of proteins includes three members, p53, p63, and p73. The levels and stability of p53 are controlled in large part by MDM2, which can bind the p53 N-terminus and promote its degradation. Because the MDM2 gene is transcriptionally activated by p53, it forms part of an autoregulatory feedback loop that directly links the transcriptional activity of p53 with its degradation. In contrast, little is known about the mechanisms that control p63 or p73 stability. In the current study, p73 deletion or point mutants that lacked transactivation activity were stable compared to wild-type p73. A naturally occurring p73 variant (DeltaNp73) was also stable compared to wild-type p73. Finally, fusion of the VP16-transactivation domain to an inactive, stable p73 mutant restored transactivation function and rendered the mutant protein unstable. These results demonstrate that p73 transactivation activity is necessary for rapid p73 turnover, and suggest that one or more transcriptional targets of p73 may promote its degradation.

Mdm2: A regulator of cell growth and death

The interplay between Mdm2 and p53 represents one of the better-known paradigms of the relationship between an oncogene and a tumor suppressor gene. The Mdm2 protein is a key regulator of cell growth and death and plays a pivotal role in the transformation of normal cells into tumor cells, the hallmark of an oncogene. The primary role of Mdm2 under nonstressed conditions is to target the degradation ofthe tumor suppressor protein p53. In response to stress, however, p53 is not affected by Mdm2 and functions as a transcription factor that induces the transcription of Mdm2 as well as of genes involved in growth control or apoptosis. The effect of Mdm2 on the regulation of cell growth and death depends on p53 but also on a growing number of p53-independent targets. This overview summarizes our current understanding of Mdm2 and p53 regulation, function, and interaction in normal and tumor states.

Expression of the VRK (vaccinia-related kinase) gene family of p53 regulators in murine hematopoietic development

The vaccinia-related kinase (VRK) proteins are a new group of three Ser-Thr kinases in the human kinome. VRK proteins are upstream regulators of several transcription factors. VRK1 phosphorylates p53 in Thr-18 within the region of binding to mdm2 preventing their interaction. The tissue distribution of three genes is still largely unknown. In the present report the expression of these genes was analyzed during murine hematopoietic development. The three genes are expressed in fetal liver and peripheral blood, with higher levels between days 11.5 and 13.5, a time when there is a massive expansion of liver cells, and thereafter their expression falls significantly. VRK genes are expressed, particularly at mid-gestation, in embryo thymus and spleen, but in adult thymus and spleen their levels are very low. VRK2 is expressed at lower levels than VRK1 and VRK3 in the mouse embryo. VRK genes play a role during embryonic development of hematopoiesis.

Molecular basis of p53 functional inactivation by the leukemic protein MLL-ELL

The Eleven Lysine-rich Leukemia (ELL) gene undergoes translocation and fuses in frame to the Multiple Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene in a substantial proportion of patients suffering from acute forms of leukemia. Molecular mechanisms of cellular transformation by the MLL-ELL fusion are not well understood. Although both MLL-ELL and wild-type ELL can reduce functional activity of p53 tumor suppressor, our data reveal that MLL-ELL is a much more efficient inhibitor of p53 than is wild-type ELL. We also demonstrate for the first time that ELL extreme C terminus [ELL(eCT)] is required for the recruitment of p53 into MLL-ELL nuclear foci and is both necessary and sufficient for the MLL-ELL inhibition of p53-mediated induction of p21 and apoptosis. Finally, our results demonstrate that MLL-ELL requires the presence of intact ELL(eCT) in order to disrupt p53 interactions with p300/CBP coactivator and thus significantly reduce p53 acetylation in vivo. Since ELL(eCT) has recently been shown to be both necessary and sufficient for MLL-ELL-mediated transformation of normal blood progenitors, our data correlate ELL(eCT) contribution to MLL-ELL transformative effects with its ability to functionally inhibit p53.

Identification of two serine residues important for p53 DNA binding and protein stability

The p53 core DNA binding domain has been implied in Mdm2-mediated protein degradation. Here we show that the substitution of the serine residues 116 and 127 with alanine residues (S116/127A) has no effect on p53 DNA binding and protein stability. However, the substitution of the serine residues with the aspartic acid (S116/127D) abolished p53 DNA binding and led to protein stabilization. Importantly, we have shown that S116/127D exhibits a structural mutant conformation that results in a loss of p53-dependent transcription and Mdm2-mediated protein degradation.

Pirh2, a p53-induced ubiquitin-protein ligase, promotes p53 degradation

The p53 tumor suppressor exerts anti-proliferative effects in response to various types of stress including DNA damage and abnormal proliferative signals. Tight regulation of p53 is essential for maintaining normal cell growth and this occurs primarily through posttranslational modifications of p53. Here, we describe Pirh2, a gene regulated by p53 that encodes a RING-H2 domain-containing protein with intrinsic ubiquitin-protein ligase activity. Pirh2 physically interacts with p53 and promotes ubiquitination of p53 independently of Mdm2. Expression of Pirh2 decreases the level of p53 protein and abrogation of endogenous Pirh2 expression increases the level of p53. Furthermore, Pirh2 represses p53 functions including p53-dependent transactivation and growth inhibition. We propose that Pirh2 is involved in the negative regulation of p53 function through physical interaction and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Hence, Pirh2, like Mdm2, participates in an autoregulatory feedback loop that controls p53 function.

Change of conformation of the DNA-binding domain of p53 is the only key element for binding of and interference with p73

Xenopus p53 has biological and biochemical properties similar to those of human p53, except for optimal temperature. The frog protein is fully active at 30 degrees C and inactive at 37 degrees C, leading to a temperature-sensitive behavior similar to that of the human mutant p53Ala(143) and the murine mutant p53Val(135). Using hybrid proteins between human and Xenopus expressed from artificial p53 minigenes, we have been able to demonstrate that change of conformation of the DNA-binding domain is the major determinant of this heat sensitivity. It has been reported that some human tumor-derived p53 mutants can engage in a physical association with p73, thus inhibiting its transactivating properties. The mechanism of this association remains to be elucidated. The nature of the mutant p53 that can engage in this association also remains controversial. Using the unique opportunity of the temperature sensitivity of Xenopus p53, we demonstrate that binding of and interference with p73 require a change of conformation in the p53 protein. This interaction occurs through the DNA-binding domain of p53 only when it is in a denatured state. These results reinforce the notion that mutant p53 with a conformational change can act as a down-regulator of the p73 pathway in human cancer and could confer a selective advantage to the tumor.

Stabilization of p53 by CP-31398 inhibits ubiquitination without altering phosphorylation at serine 15 or 20 or MDM2 binding

CP-31398, a styrylquinazoline, emerged from a high throughput screen for therapeutic agents that restore a wild-type-associated epitope (monoclonal antibody 1620) on the DNA-binding domain of the p53 protein. We found that CP-31398 can not only restore p53 function in mutant p53-expressing cells but also significantly increase the protein level and promote the activity of wild-type p53 in multiple human cell lines, including ATM-null cells. Cells treated with CP-31398 undergo either cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Further investigation showed that CP-31398 blocks the ubiquitination and degradation of p53 but not in human papillomavirus E6-expressing cells. Of note, CP-31398 does not block the physical association between p53 and MDM2 in vivo. Moreover, unlike the DNA-damaging agent adriamycin, which induces strong phosphorylation of p53 on serines 15 and 20, CP-31398 exposure leads to no measurable phosphorylation on these sites. We found that CP-31398 could also stabilize exogenous p53 in p53 mutant, wild-type, and p53-null human cells, even in MDM2-null p53(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Our results suggest a model wherein CP-31398-mediated stabilization of p53 may result from reduced ubiquitination, leading to high levels of transcriptionally active p53. Further understanding of this mechanism may lead to novel strategies for p53 stabilization and tumor suppression in cancers, even those with absent ARF or high MDM2 expression.

Mdm-2 binding and TAF(II)31 recruitment is regulated by hydrogen bond disruption between the p53 residues Thr18 and Asp21

Analyses of five wild-type p53 containing cell lines revealed lineage specific differences in phosphorylation of Thr18 after treatment with ionizing (IR) or ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Importantly, Thr18 phosphorylation correlated with induction of the p53 downstream targets p21(Waf1/Cip1) (p21) and Mdm-2, suggesting a transactivation enhancing role. Thr18 phosphorylation has been shown to abolish side-chain hydrogen bonding between Thr18 and Asp21, an interaction necessary for stabilizing alpha-helical conformation within the transactivation domain. Mutagenesis-derived hydrogen bond disruption attenuated the interaction of p53 with the transactivation repressor Mdm-2 but had no direct effect on the interaction of p53 with the basal transcription factor TAF(II)31. However, prior incubation of p53 mutants with Mdm-2 modulated TAF(II)31 interaction with p53, suggesting Mdm-2 blocks the accessibility of p53 to TAF(II)31. Consistently, p53-null cells transfected with hydrogen bond disrupting p53 mutants demonstrated enhanced endogenous p21 expression, whereas p53/Mdm-2-double null cells exhibited no discernible differences in p21 expression. We conclude disruption of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between Thr18 and Asp21 enhances p53 transactivation by modulating Mdm-2 binding, facilitating TAF(II)31 recruitment.

DeltaNp73, a dominant-negative inhibitor of wild-type p53 and TAp73, is up-regulated in human tumors

p73 has significant homology to p53. However, tumor-associated up-regulation of p73 and genetic data from human tumors and p73-deficient mice exclude a classical Knudson-type tumor suppressor role. We report that the human TP73 gene generates an NH(2) terminally truncated isoform. DeltaNp73 derives from an alternative promoter in intron 3 and lacks the transactivation domain of full-length TAp73. DeltaNp73 is frequently overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, but not in normal tissues. DeltaNp73 acts as a potent transdominant inhibitor of wild-type p53 and transactivation-competent TAp73. DeltaNp73 efficiently counteracts transactivation function, apoptosis, and growth suppression mediated by wild-type p53 and TAp73, and confers drug resistance to wild-type p53 harboring tumor cells. Conversely, down-regulation of endogenous DeltaNp73 levels by antisense methods alleviates its suppressive action and enhances p53- and TAp73-mediated apoptosis. DeltaNp73 is complexed with wild-type p53, as demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation from cultured cells and primary tumors. Thus, DeltaNp73 mediates a novel inactivation mechanism of p53 and TAp73 via a dominant-negative family network. Deregulated expression of DeltaNp73 can bestow oncogenic activity upon the TP73 gene by functionally inactivating the suppressor action of p53 and TAp73. This trait might be selected for in human cancers.

Inactivation of NF-kappaB-dependent cell survival, a novel mechanism for the proapoptotic function of c-Abl

Using a system that expresses a constitutively kinase-active c-Abl protein [c-Abl(KA)], we identified the protein IkappaBalpha as a novel substrate of c-Abl. This kinase-substrate relationship is not only confirmed at the level of endogenous proteins but is also supported by a physical interaction between the two proteins. Interestingly, the association of c-Abl with IkappaBalpha, which is detectable in the form of nonphosphorylated proteins, is remarkably enhanced by an inducible binding of tyrosine-phosphorylated IkappaBalpha to the c-Abl SH2 domain. In contrast to the serine 32/34 phosphorylation that triggers ubiquitination and degradation of IkappaBalpha, c-Abl-mediated phosphorylation at tyrosine 305 is associated with an increase of the IkappaBalpha protein stability. Significantly, this activity is not shared by the oncogenic Bcr-Abl, because it is unique to the nuclear c-Abl. We also demonstrate that c-Abl targets the nuclear subpopulation of IkappaBalpha for phosphorylation and induces it to accumulate in the nucleus. As a consequence, NF-kappaB transcription activity is abolished, leading to an increased cellular sensitivity to the induction of apoptosis. The functional importance of c-Abl-mediated IkappaBalpha phosphorylation is highlighted by a loss of response of the IkappaBalpha(Y305F) protein to c-Abl-mediated regulation. Using cells expressing the c-Abl(KA) protein under the control of an inducible promoter, we demonstrate inactivation of the NF-kappaB-dependent cell survival pathway as one of the mechanisms for c-Abl-mediated apoptosis.

p53-dependent S-phase damage checkpoint and pronuclear cross talk in mouse zygotes with X-irradiated sperm

One difficulty in analyzing the damage response is that the effect of damage itself and that of cellular response are hard to distinguish in irradiated cells. In mouse zygotes, damage can be introduced by irradiated sperm, while damage response can be studied in the unirradiated maternal pronucleus. We have analyzed the p53-dependent damage responses in irradiated-sperm mouse zygotes and found that a p53-responsive reporter was efficiently activated in the female pronucleus. [(3)H]thymidine labeling experiments indicated that irradiated-sperm zygotes were devoid of G(1)/S arrest, but pronuclear DNA synthesis was suppressed equally in male and female pronuclei. p53(-/-) zygotes lacked this suppression, which was corrected by microinjection of glutathione S-transferase-p53 fusion protein. In contrast, p21(-/-) zygotes exhibited the same level of suppression upon fertilization by irradiated sperm. About a half of the 6-Gy-irradiated-sperm zygotes managed to synthesize a full DNA content by prolonging S phase, while the other half failed to do so. Regardless of the DNA content, all the zygotes cleaved to become two-cell-stage embryos. These results revealed the presence of p53-dependent pronuclear cross talk and a novel function of p53 in the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint of mouse zygotes.

The human MDM2 oncoprotein increases the transcriptional activity and the protein level of the p53 homolog p63

Genetic alteration of the p53 tumor suppressor gene, which monitors DNA damage and operates cell cycle checkpoints, is a major factor in the development of human malignancies. The p53 protein belongs to a family that also includes two structurally related proteins, p63 and p73. Although all three proteins share similar transcriptional functions and antiproliferative effects, each of them appears to play a distinct role in development and tumor suppression. One of the principal regulators of p53 activity is the MDM2 protein. The interaction of MDM2 with p53 inhibits p53 transcriptional activity and targets p53 for ubiquitin-dependent degradation. The ability of MDM2 to inhibit p53 functions is antagonized by the ARF oncosuppressor protein. We show here that like p53, the p63alpha and p63gamma isoforms are able to associate with human MDM2 (HDM2). Overexpression of HDM2 increased the steady-state level of intracellular p63 and enhanced its transcriptional activity. Both effects appeared to be counteracted by ARF coexpression. These data indicate that p63 can be activated by HDM2 under conditions in which p53 is inhibited. Therefore, HDM2 expression could support p63-specific transcriptional functions on a common set of genes, keeping interference by p53 at a minimum.

p53, p63 and p73--solos, alliances and feuds among family members

p53 controls crucial stress responses that play a major role in preventing malignant transformation. Hence, inactivation of p53 is the single most common genetic defect in human cancer. With the recent discovery of two close structural homologs, p63 en p73, we are getting a broader view of a fascinating gene family that links developmental biology with tumor biology. While unique roles are apparent for each of these genes, intimate biochemical cross-talk among family members suggests a functional network that might influence many different aspects of individual gene action. The most interesting part of this family network derives from the fact that the p63 and p73 genes are based on the "two-genes-in-one" idea, encoding both agonist and antagonist in the same open reading frame. In this review, we attempt to present an overview of the current status of this fast moving field.

The evolution of diverse biological responses to DNA damage: insights from yeast and p53

The cellular response to ionizing radiation provides a conceptual framework for understanding how a yeast checkpoint system, designed to make binary decisions between arrest and cycling, evolved in a way as to allow reversible arrest, senescence or apoptosis in mammals. We propose that the diversity of responses to ionizing radiation in mammalian cells is possible because of the addition of a new regulatory control module involving the tumour-suppressor gene p53. We review the complex mechanisms controlling p53 activity and discuss how the p53 regulatory module enables cells to grow, arrest or die by integrating DNA damage checkpoint signals with the response to normal mitogenic signalling and the aberrant signalling engendered by oncogene activation.

Identification of p53 sequence elements that are required for MDM2-mediated nuclear export

It has been demonstrated that MDM2 can differentially regulate subcellular distribution of p53 and its close structural homologue p73. In contrast to MDM2-mediated p53 nuclear export, p73 accumulates in the nucleus as aggregates that colocalize with MDM2. Distinct distribution patterns of p53 and p73 suggest the existence of unique structural elements in the two homologues that determine their MDM2-mediated relocalization in the cell. Using a series of p53/p73 chimeric proteins, we demonstrate that three regions of p53 are involved in the regulation of MDM2-mediated nuclear export. The DNA binding domain (DBD) is involved in the maintenance of a proper conformation that is required for functional activity of the nuclear export sequence (NES) of p53. The extreme C terminus of p53 harbors several lysine residues whose ubiquitination by MDM2 appears to be the initial event in p53 nuclear export, as evidenced by the impaired nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of p53 mutants bearing simultaneous substitutions of lysines 370, 372, 373, 381, 382, and 386 to arginines (6KR) or alanines (6KA). Finally, the region between the DBD and the oligomerization domain of p53, specifically lysine 305, also plays a critical role in fully revealing p53NES. We conclude that MDM2-mediated nuclear export of p53 depends on a series of ubiquitination-induced conformational changes in the p53 molecule that lead to the activation of p53NES. In addition, we demonstrate that the p53NES may be activated without necessarily disrupting the p53 tetramer.

Critical roles for the serine 20, but not the serine 15, phosphorylation site and for the polyproline domain in regulating p53 turnover

The p53 tumour suppressor protein is a short-lived transcription factor that becomes stabilized in response to a wide range of cellular stresses. Ubiquitination and the targeting of p53 for degradation by the proteasome are mediated by Mdm2 (mouse double minute clone 2), a negative regulatory partner of p53. Previous studies have suggested that DNA-damage-induced phosphorylation of p53 at key N-terminal sites has a pivotal role in regulating the interaction with Mdm2 but the precise role of phosphorylation of serines 15 and 20 is still unclear. Here we show that replacement of serine 15 and a range of other key N-terminal phosphorylation sites with alanine, which cannot be phosphorylated, has little effect on the ubiquitination and degradation of full-length human p53. In contrast, replacement of serine 20 makes p53 highly sensitive to Mdm2-mediated turnover. These results define distinct roles for serines 15 and 20, two sites previously demonstrated to be dependent on phosphorylation through mechanisms mediated by DNA damage and ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated). We also show that the polyproline region of p53, a domain that has a key role in p53-induced apoptosis, exerts a critical influence over the Mdm2-mediated turnover of p53.

p73 is a growth-regulated protein in vascular smooth muscle cells and is present at high levels in human atherosclerotic plaque

p73 is a newly described homologue of the tumour suppressor p53 that was cloned serendipitously and subsequently shown to possess considerable homology in the most evolutionarily conserved p53 domains. Yet despite the fact that p53 and p73 have extensive structural similarities, their functions are proving to be quite different. We now show that p73 is a growth-regulated protein in the vasculature, being markedly increased in cultured vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells stimulated with 10% serum, with no significant change in p73 mRNA levels. Stability of p73 is increased after serum stimulation and, probably contributing to this increase in p73 stability, the c-Abl oncogene protein displays a higher molecular weight species and is probably phosphorylated and activated in serum-stimulated VSM cells. The serum-mediated induction of p73 is not altered when the cells are incubated with inhibitors of the MAP/ERK pathway or tyrosine kinases, and is not stimulated by PDGF-BB, demonstrating that the mechanism of the increase in p73 does not involve this classical receptor tyrosine kinase growth factor signalling cascade. p73 is markedly increased in plaque tissue taken from atherosclerotic human carotid arteries, but not in comparable intimal scrapings from normal human arteries. Our data indicate that the tumour suppressor homologue p73 probably plays a role in VSM cell cycle progression, being mediated by a specific, as yet unidentified, serum component, and identifies a new function for this protein as being important in the pathogenesis of human atherosclerosis as well as other vascular diseases.

Evidence for a distinct inhibitory factor in the regulation of p53 functional activity

Under normal conditions, tumor suppressor protein p53 exists in the cell in its latent form and is unable to function as a transcription factor. The allosteric model of p53 regulation postulates that the extreme portion of p53 carboxyl terminus (aa 364-393) binds to the core domain of the protein, thereby abrogating specific DNA binding in that region. In this study we propose an alternative mechanism of p53 functional regulation, which involves a separate molecule acting in trans to inhibit p53 transcriptional activity. Through the use of chimeric proteins of p53, p63gamma and p73beta, we show that the extreme COOH-terminal domain of p53 exerts a powerful and specific inhibitory effect on the p73- and p63-driven expression of a reporter gene. Moreover, fusion of p53 extreme COOH terminus to a completely unrelated transcriptional activator Gal4-VP16 also results in significant inhibition of transactivation activity. Since p73, p63, or Gal4-VP16 cannot associate with any part of the p53 molecule, we conclude that p53(aa 364-393) represses transcriptional activity of chimeric proteins and p53 itself through the binding of external negative modulator(s) in that region and not by the allosteric mechanism of regulation. In accordance with the "distinct inhibitor" hypothesis, the activity of wild type p53 is substantially increased by overexpression of chimeric proteins bearing p53(aa 364-393), which might be due to the competitive removal of transcriptional inhibitor(s). Our findings provide the basis for the identification of such negative modulators of p53 transcriptional activity.

Hdmx and Mdm2 can repress transcription activation by p53 but not by p63

The p53 protein is involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. To ensure that cells under non-stressed conditions are able to grow, p53 sets up a negative feedback loop by inducing Mdm2. Mdm2 is able to both inhibit the transcriptional regulation by p53 and to degrade it, thus maintaining p53 inactive until it is required. The Mdm2 related protein, Hdmx, has also been shown to inhibit the transcriptional activation of p53 but is unable to degrade it. A few years ago, the p53 family member, p63 was identified. Like p53, p63 is able to induce p53 target genes and it was shown to be able to cause cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In this study we report that, despite the similarities between p53 and p63, neither Hdmx nor Mdm2 are able to interact with p63, to repress p63-induced transcription or to affect its half-life.

The corepressor mSin3a interacts with the proline-rich domain of p53 and protects p53 from proteasome-mediated degradation

While the transactivation function of the tumor suppressor p53 is well understood, less is known about the transrepression functions of this protein. We have previously shown that p53 interacts with the corepressor protein mSin3a (hereafter designated Sin3) in vivo and that this interaction is critical for the ability of p53 to repress gene expression. In the present study, we demonstrate that expression of Sin3 results in posttranslational stabilization of both exogenous and endogenous p53, due to an inhibition of proteasome-mediated degradation of this protein. Stabilization of p53 by Sin3 requires the Sin3-binding domain, determined here to map to the proline-rich region of p53, from amino acids 61 to 75. The correlation between Sin3 binding and stabilization supports the hypothesis that this domain of p53 may normally be subject to a destabilizing influence. The finding that a synthetic mutant of p53 lacking the Sin3-binding domain has an increased half-life in cells, compared to wild-type p53, supports this premise. Interestingly, unlike retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein, MDMX, and p14(ARF), Sin3 stabilizes p53 in an MDM2-independent manner. The ability of Sin3 to stabilize p53 is consistent with the model whereby these two proteins must exist on a promoter for extended periods, in order for repression to be an effective mechanism of gene regulation. This model is consistent with our data indicating that, unlike the p300-p53 complex, the p53-Sin3 complex is immunologically detectable for prolonged periods following exposure of cells to agents of DNA damage.

A sequence element of p53 that determines its susceptibility to viral oncoprotein-targeted degradation

The molecular basis that the viral oncoproteins, including HPV16 E6 and E1B55k/E4 34k complex, differentially target p53 but not its homolog p73 for degradation remains elusive. Using a series of p53/p73 chimeras, we demonstrated that despite binding to the different regions of p53, both HPV16 E6 and E1B55k/E4 34k required a very same p53 sequence, amino acid residues 92 to 112 [p53(aa.92-112)], previously identified as a necessity for Mdm2-mediated degradation, to target p53 for degradation. Removal of the p53(aa.92-112) by either substitution or deletion resulted in a p53 protein that was no longer degradable by the viral proteins. More significantly, swapping the oncoprotein-binding motif and the p53(aa.92-112) rendered p73 susceptible to oncoprotein-mediated degradation. Collectively, our data supports a model in which the p53(aa.92-112) functions as a determinant for p53 stability while the binding of the oncoproteins directs p53 into the specific pathway for proteolysis.

The contribution of the acidic domain of MDM2 to p53 and MDM2 stability

p53 and MDM2 are both degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. MDM2 binds p53 and promotes its rapid degradation. MDM2 is an E3 ligase that activates self and p53 ubiquitylation. Moreover, MDM2 nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling contributes to p53 degradation in the cytoplasm. We have identified a new region of MDM2 which regulates the stability of both p53 and MDM2. The first 50 amino-acids of the MDM2 acidic domain (222-272) contribute to MDM2 and MDM2-mediated p53 degradation by a mechanism which is independent of either MDM2 E3-ligase activity or MDM2 nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling. The transcriptional coactivator p300 could have been involved, since it binds to the MDM2 acidic domain. However, we found that p300 stabilises MDM2, even in absence of an intact acidic domain, indicating that the MDM2 acidic region contributes to proteolysis independently of p300. We propose that the MDM2 acidic domain is required for unbiquitylated MDM2 and p53 to be degraded by cytoplasmic proteasomes.

DNA damage-induced phosphorylation of p53 at serine 20 correlates with p21 and Mdm-2 induction in vivo

We investigated the induction and physiological role of Ser20 phosphorylation of p53 in response to DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation (IR) or ultraviolet radiation (UV). A polyclonal antibody that specifically recognizes a p53 peptide containing phosphorylated Ser20 was generated and used to detect p53 phosphorylation at Ser20. Western blot analyses of p53 in four cell lines with this antibody revealed that the p53 protein was phosphorylated at Ser20 to a different extent after treatment with IR or UV. The phosphorylation of Ser20 of wild-type p53 correlated with enhanced induction of the p53 downstream target genes p21WAF1/Cip1 (p21) and mdm-2. These results suggest that DNA damage-induced phosphorylation of p53 at Ser20 enhances the transactivation function of p53 for p21 and mdm-2 in vivo.

Multiple C-terminal lysine residues target p53 for ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated degradation

In normal cells, p53 is maintained at a low level by ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, but after genotoxic insult this process is inhibited and p53 levels rise dramatically. Ubiquitination of p53 requires the ubiquitin-activating enzyme Ubc5 as a ubiquitin conjugation enzyme and Mdm2, which acts as a ubiquitin protein ligase. In addition to the N-terminal region, which is required for interaction with Mdm2, the C-terminal domain of p53 modulates the susceptibility of p53 to Mdm2-mediated degradation. To analyze the role of the C-terminal domain in p53 ubiquitination, we have generated p53 molecules containing single and multiple lysine-to-arginine changes between residues 370 and 386. Although wild-type (WT) and mutant molecules show similar subcellular distributions, the mutants display a higher transcriptional activity than WT p53. Simultaneous mutation of lysine residues 370, 372, 373, 381, 382, and 386 to arginine residues (6KR p53 mutant) generates a p53 molecule with potent transcriptional activity that is resistant to Mdm2-induced degradation and is refractory to Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination. In contrast to WT p53, transcriptional activity directed by the 6KR p53 mutant fails to be negatively regulated by Mdm2. Those differences are also manifest in HeLa cells which express the human papillomavirus E6 protein, suggesting that p53 C-terminal lysine residues are also implicated in E6-AP-mediated ubiquitination. These data suggest that p53 C-terminal lysine residues are the main sites of ubiquitin ligation, which target p53 for proteasome-mediated degradation.