Elevated frequency and functional activity of a specific germ-line p53 intron mutation in familial breast cancer

Previous studies have determined that the frequency of germ-line p53 mutations in familial breast cancer patients is 1% or less, but these reports have not investigated the importance of polymorphic intron base changes in the p53 gene. Therefore, we investigated the frequency of both exon and intron germ-line p53 base changes in 42 breast cancer patients with a strong family history of breast cancer. The mean age of presentation of these patients was 44.0 years (range, 29-69), and 12 of 42 (29%) were of known Ashkenazi ancestry. Purified DNA obtained from the 42 index cases was screened for germ-line p53 mutations in exons 2-11 and surrounding introns using a combination of intron based primers for PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism analysis, direct sequencing, and microarray sequencing using the Affymetrix p53 gene chip methodology. Morphological analysis of apoptosis and cell survival determination were performed on EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines from two patients with the p53 intron 6 mutation. A germ-line mutation in the p53 gene at nucleotide 13964 with a G to C base change (13964GC) was identified in 3 of 42 (7.1%) hereditary breast cancer patients. Two patients were heterozygous for this mutation, and one patient had a homozygous mutation. In comparison, 0 of 171 (0%) of sporadic breast cancer patients had the p53 13964GC mutation (P = 0.0003). We found that 0 of 42 (0%) of these hereditary breast cancer patients had other germ-line p53 mutation in exons 2-11. However, pedigree analysis demonstrated that all three patients had strong family histories of multiple types of cancers consistent with Li-Fraumeni syndrome but with late age of onset. Comprehensive BRCA1 and BRCA2 nucleotide analysis from patients with the p53 13964GC mutation revealed no concomitant deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, although they were found in the other hereditary breast cancer patients. Functional analysis of two immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from patients with the p53 13964GC mutation demonstrated prolonged in vitro survival in response to cisplatinum treatment and showed decreased chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Immunohistochemical analysis of breast tumors from these patients revealed high levels of mutant p53 protein, suggesting a functional mutation in the p53 gene. In summary, we have identified a single p53 intron mutation in familial breast cancer patients that is present at elevated frequency and has functional activity.

BRCA1 mutations in African Americans

The breast cancer predisposing gene, BRCA1, was analyzed for germline mutations in 45 African American families at high-risk for hereditary breast cancer. Patients were considered high-risk if they had a family history of the disease, early onset breast cancer, bilateral breast cancer, or breast and ovarian cancer. The entire BRCA1 coding and flanking intron regions have been examined by single stranded conformation polymorphism analysis followed by sequencing of variant bands. Eleven different BRCA1 germline mutations/variations were identified in 7 patients from the 45 high-risk families. Two pathogenic, protein-truncating mutations were detected in exon 11. A ten base pair tandem duplication, 943ins10, was present in a woman with breast and ovarian cancer whose first-degree relatives had prostate cancer. A four base pair deletion, 3450del4, was detected in a breast cancer patient with five cases of breast cancer in the family; two of the proband's sisters with breast cancer also carried the same mutation. Four amino acid substitutions (Lys1183Arg, Leu1564Pro, Gln1785His, and Glu1794Asp) and four nucleotide substitutions in intron 22 (IVS22+78 C/A, IVS22+67 T/C, IVS22+8 T/A and IVS22+7 T/C) were observed in patients and not in control subjects. One early onset breast cancer patient carried five distinct BRCA1 variations, two amino acid substitutions and three substitutions in intron 22. An amino acid substitution in exon 11, Ser1140Gly, was identified in 3 different unrelated patients and in 6 of 92 control samples. The latter probably represents a benign polymorphism.

Beta2-chimaerin is a high affinity receptor for the phorbol ester tumor promoters

Beta2-chimaerin, a member of the GTPase-activating proteins for the small GTP-binding protein p21Rac, possesses a single cysteine-rich domain with high homology to those implicated in phorbol ester and diacylglycerol binding in protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes. We have expressed beta2-chimaerin in Sf9 insect cells using the baculovirus expression system and determined that, like PKCs, beta2-chimaerin binds phorbol esters with high affinity in the presence of phosphatidylserine as a cofactor. Scatchard plot analysis using the radioligand [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate revealed a dissociation constant of 1.9 +/- 0.2 nM for beta2-chimaerin. Likewise, beta2-chimaerin is a high affinity receptor for the bryostatins, a class of atypical PKC activators. A detailed comparison of structure-activity relations using several phorbol ester analogs revealed striking differences in binding recognition between beta2-chimaerin and PKCalpha. Although the diacylglycerol 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol binds with similar potency to both beta2-chimaerin and PKCalpha, the mezerein analog thymeleatoxin has 56-fold less affinity for binding to beta2-chimaerin. To establish whether beta2-chimaerin responds to phorbol esters in cellular systems, we overexpressed beta2-chimaerin in COS-7 cells and monitored its subcellular distribution after phorbol ester treatment. Interestingly, as described previously for PKC isozymes, beta2-chimaerin translocates from cytosolic to particulate fractions as a consequence of phorbol ester treatment. Our results demonstrate that beta2-chimaerin is a novel target for the phorbol ester tumor promoters. The expansion of the family of phorbol ester receptors strongly suggests a potential for the "non-kinase" receptors as cellular mediators of the phorbol ester responses.

High frequency of K-ras codon 12 mutations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients at high risk for second primary lung cancer

A high frequency of K-ras mutations may indicate preneoplastic changes in the bronchial epithelium as a result of genotoxic injury. With the use of sensitive detection techniques, we report a higher prevalence of K-ras mutations in bronchoalveolar lavage than has been reported previously for lung cancer. A PCR/ligase chain reaction technique was used to determine K-ras codon 12 mutations in a group of 52 bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from patients at risk of a second lung cancer. Of the specimens examined, 84% contained at least one mutation in K-ras codon 12, corroborated by an allele-specific hybridization method. These results suggest that point mutations in K-ras codon 12 are widespread in the bronchial epithelium. Based on these preliminary findings, further evaluation of this efficient sensitive assay to monitor K-ras status should be conducted in larger clinical cohorts where clinical outcomes will ultimately be available. Such a trial will define the utility of K-ras codon 12 mutation status as a marker of lung cancer.

Detection of K-ras oncogene mutations by polymerase chain reaction-based ligase chain reaction

To evaluate a rapid multiplexed assay to detect three common K-ras codon 12 mutations, primer pairs complementary to the wild-type and mutant loci were developed and tested with lung cancer cell lines with previously identified mutation status. The sensitivity of detection of mutations was determined to be at least 1% using spiked samples containing K-ras codon 12 mutations. This assay was then used to evaluate prospectively K-ras status in airways of individuals at high risk of lung cancer by analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens from patients who have been previously treated for lung cancer. DNA was extracted from BAL specimen cell pellets, and PCR-based ligase chain reaction was performed for mutations in the first position of codon 12 of K-ras, with positive and negative controls. Of 10 BAL samples, 4 contained 1 mutation (GGT --> TGT), 1 contained 2 mutations (GGT --> TGT and GGT --> AGT), and the rest were wild-type. The BAL mutations were validated by cloning and screening with mutant-specific probes followed by confirmation sequencing.

Potential role of human cytomegalovirus and p53 interaction in coronary restenosis

A subset of patients who have undergone coronary angioplasty develop restenosis, a vessel renarrowing characterized by excessive proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Of 60 human restenosis lesions examined, 23 (38 percent) were found to have accumulated high amounts of the tumor suppressor protein p53, and this correlated with the presence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in the lesions. SMCs grown from the lesions expressed HCMV protein IE84 and high amounts of p53. HCMV infection of cultured SMCs enhanced p53 accumulation, which correlated temporally with IE84 expression. IE84 also bound to p53 and abolished its ability to transcriptionally activate a reporter gene. Thus, HCMV, and IE84-mediated inhibition of p53 function, may contribute to the development of restenosis.

p53 mutations in human immortalized epithelial cell lines

Although rodent cells have been immortalized following transfection with a mutant p53 gene, the role of p53 in the immortalization of human cells is unknown. Therefore, human epithelial cell lines were examined for p53 mutations in exons 4-9 which include the evolutionarily conserved regions. A spontaneously immortalized skin keratinocyte cell line, HaCat, and three ras-transfected clones, have a p53 mutational spectrum that is typical of ultraviolet light induced mutations. A normal finite lifespan cell strain (184) and two benzo[a]pyrene immortalized mammary epithelial cell lines derived from 184 (184A1 and 184B5) contain wild type p53 sequences in exons 4-9, although elevated levels of nuclear p53 indicate an alteration in the stability of the normally transient protein. Wild type p53 was found in human bronchial, esophageal and hepatic epithelial cells immortalized by SV40 T antigen gene and human renal epithelial cells immortalized by adenovirus 5. BEAS-2B, an SV40 T antigen immortalized bronchial epithelial cell line and two subclones, have a germline polymorphism at codon 47. Inactivation of p53 by mechanisms such as mutation or complexing with proteins of DNA tumor viruses appears to be important in the immortalization of human epithelial cells.

Differential DNA sequence deletions from chromosomes 3, 11, 13, and 17 in squamous-cell carcinoma, large-cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma of the human lung

Activation of protooncogenes and inactivation of putative tumor suppressor genes are genetic lesions considered to be important in lung carcinogenesis. Fifty-four cases of non-small-cell lung cancer (23 adenocarcinomas, 23 squamous-cell carcinomas, and 8 large-cell carcinomas) were examined for loss of DNA sequences at 13 polymorphic genetic loci. Loss of heterozygosity was seen more frequently in squamous-cell carcinoma than in adenocarcinoma. The loss of DNA sequences from the short arm of chromosome 17 (D17S1 locus) was detected in 8 of 9 heterozygous cases of squamous-cell carcinoma and in only 2 of 11 heterozygous cases of adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, in 7 of these 8 squamous-cell carcinomas, loss of heterozygosity from chromosome 17 was accompanied by loss of DNA sequences from chromosome 11. The spectrum of allelic sequences lost from chromosome 11 was, however, similar in every type of carcinoma studied, and the data show two regions commonly deleted from chromosome 11 (11pter-p15.5 and 11p13-q13) that may have a role in the pathogenesis of all these types of non-small-cell bronchogenic carcinoma. Loss of DNA sequences from chromosome 3 was seen in 16 of 31 cases where the constitutive DNA was heterozygous-i.e., informative. These data included only 6 of 16 cases where loss of heterozygosity involved a chromosomal locus previously shown to be lost consistently in small-cell lung cancer (DNF15S2). Loss of heterozygosity at the chromosome 13q locus, D13S3, was seen in 9 of 21 informative cases, and in 2 cases, both adenocarcinomas, duplication of the intact DNA sequences suggested the possibility that mitotic recombination had occurred. Frequent DNA sequence deletions, including those from chromosome 17, in squamous-cell carcinomas may reflect the extensive mutagenic and clastogenic effects of tobacco smoke that may lead to inactivation of putative tumor-suppressor genes.

Transforming DNA sequences of human hepatocellular carcinomas, their distribution and relationship with hepatitis B virus sequence in human hepatomas

Several related human transforming DNA sequences, hhc, and a putative normal liver homologue, c-hhc, have been molecularly cloned from the genomic DNAs of individual African and Asian hepatomas and from normal liver respectively. hhcM (Mahlavu) and hhcK3 (Korean), but not c-hhc, transformed NIH3T3 cells in DNA-mediated gene transfer assays. Transformed cells were found tumorigenic in athymic NIH Swiss nu/nu mice. In view of recent epidemiological studies implicating hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection early in life as causative for the eventual development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma in humans in Southeast Asia, the Far-East, and certain areas of Africa, we hereby analyzed the relationship between these hhcs and HBV in a survey of 20 hepatomas for DNA sequences homologous to hhcM and HBV by sequential hybridizations against [32p]hhcM and [32p]HBV probes. hhcM related DNA sequence were found highly amplified in 80% of the 20 hepatomas but HBV DNA sequence was rare or low. hhcM lends itself as a marker for human hepatomas. However, overall results indicated that patients with integrated HBV DNA sequences showed high copy number of hhcM sequence. Furthermore, EcoR1-restricted hepatoma DNAs showed that HBV and hhcM DNA sequences resided at different fragments in hepatomas. Our results suggest that HBV contributes to hepatocarcinogenesis probably via an activation mechanism involving possibly an integration or transient interaction of HBV DNA with hepatocyte DNA sequences, leading to recombination and eventual amplifications of the hhcM sequence in Mahlavu.

Cloning of the rat endogenous helper leukemia virus DNA sequence and expression of the helper activity encoded by the cloned DNA sequence in normal rat kidney cells by microinjection

By the use of recombinant DNA technology and microinjection in cultured cells, the molecular genetic elements involved in the evolution of a retrovirus with the multipotential to infect, transform and replicate in host cell, have been critically examined in this investigation. Recently we have identified and purified the integrated and proviral DNA sequences specific for two rat endogenous helper leukemia viruses, WR- RaLV , originated from a chemically induced wild rat fibrosarcoma, and RHHV , isolated from a chemically induced rat hepatoma, HTC-H1 (1). By using a multidisciplinary approach combining restriction endonuclease analysis, reverse phase V-column chromatography, agarose gel electrophoresis, Southern blot transfer and filter nucleic acid hybridization, we were able to demonstrate that the rat helper leukemia viral DNA sequence was approximately 8.4-8.8 kb. The 8.8 kb RHHV DNA was molecularly cloned via the EK-1 certified vector pBR 322 plasmid into E. coli RRI cells. A successful recombinant clone, 8/32, that carried one entire RHHV 8.8 kb DNA sequence was mapped by restriction endonuclease analyses. Restricted DNA fragments of various sizes throughout the complete RHHV genome were isolated and purified for intranuclear microinjection into normal rat kidney cells. Release of type C infectious helper virus in these microinjected cells was investigated by superinfection on K-NRK, Kirsten sarcoma transformed non-producer cells. Recombination of the helper viral DNA sequence, en toto or of subgenomic sizes, carried in microinjected cells, with the sarcomagenic DNA sequence, carried in K-NRK cells, was also studied by genome-rescue and cell-transformation experiments. Our observations led to the conclusion that all critical genetic elements including the 5' LTR helper DNA sequence, gag, pol, and env genes, encoded for the biological activity of the type C helper virus resided within the 6.0 kb proximal to the 5' terminus of the endogenous rat type C helper virus DNA. They proved vitally essential for the recombination with the Src sequence during the evolution of an infectious, transforming and replication-competent retrovirus.

Biological activity of cloned rat endogenous C-type virus DNA transferred by microinjection

The biological activity of a molecularly cloned DNA of a rat endogenous C-type leukaemia helper virus, RHHV, was assessed by intranuclear microinjection into normal rat kidney cells (NRK153). Release of rat C-type leukaemia helper viruses by the microinjected cells was examined by superinfection of Kirsten-transformed non-producer cells (K-NRK). Immediate release of helper leukaemia viruses at a very low level was observed only in the NRK153 m3 . 5/cir cells microinjected with the supercoiled form of RHHV DNA in toto, suggesting that the circular form of the virus DNA might have expedited the replication and expression of virus particles. Genome rescue experiments were also performed by co-cultivating the microinjected NRK153 m cells carrying various linear RHHV DNAs, in toto or of subgenomic sizes, with K-NRK cells. The results indicated that both the total and the 5.8 to 6.2 kb DNA fragment proximal to the 5' terminus of the cloned RHHV 8.8 kb DNA were able to rescue successfully a transforming replication-competent pseudotype virus. Subgenomic DNA fragments derived from the centre or the 3' end of the RHHV DNA were ineffective in the genome rescue experiments.

Molecular cloning of the endogenous rat C-type helper virus DNA sequence: structural organization and functional analysis of some restricted DNA fragments

Recently, we have identified and purified the integrated and proviral DNA sequences specific for two endogenous rat type C leukaemia helper viruses: WR-RaLV which originated from a fibrosarcoma induced in a feral rat and RHHV from the cell line HTC-H1 which originated from a Buffalo rat hepatoma. The rat leukaemia helper virus DNA sequences have previously been shown to be 8.4 to 8.8 kilobases (kb) in size. In this communication, we report the molecular cloning of the 8.8 kb DNA of RHHV by ligation at the BamHI site of the vector pBR322, cultured in an Escherichia coli RR1 host. After screening 5750 clones for ampicillin resistance and tetracycline sensitivity and testing by colony hybridization using 32P-labelled RHHV cDNA, four clones were isolated, two of which carried the total 8.8 kb DNA. A detailed restriction endonuclease map of the cloned RHHV DNA was deduced by sequential digestions of either 3'- or 5'-labelled DNA. Of the 14 restriction enzymes tested, EcoRI, BamHI, PstI, KpnI, TaqI, PvuII and SmaI gave informative cleavage patterns. At least two copies of long terminal repeated sequences (LTR) flanking the 3' and 5' termini of the proviral DNA were identified by TaqI and PstI cleavages. LTR in the rat endogenous leukaemia helper virus DNA measured 780 +/- 20 nucleotides in length. The genetic information encoded by the cloned DNA was also analysed by hybridization selection of RHHV mRNA, which was then used in cell-free protein synthesis in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. Essentially all major RaLV-specific proteins precipitable by anti-RaLV serum were synthesized in vitro, confirming that the RHHV genomic DNA was successfully cloned with little fidelity loss or scrambling of the genetic information.