Up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in cancer-prone p53 knockout mice

High concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) cause DNA damage and apoptosis in many cell types. Thus, regulation of NO synthase (NOS) activity is essential for minimizing effects of cytotoxic and genotoxic nitrogen oxide species. We have shown previously that NO-induced p53 protein accumulation down-regulates basal and cytokine-modulated inducible NOS (NOS2) expression in human cells in vitro. To further characterize the feedback loop between NOS2 and p53, we have investigated NO production, i.e., urinary nitrate plus nitrite excretion, and NOS2 expression in homozygous p53 knockout (KO) mice. We report here that untreated p53 KO mice excreted 70% more nitrite plus nitrate than mice with wild-type (wt) p53. NOS2 protein expression was constitutively detected in the spleen of untreated p53 KO mice, whereas it was undetectable in the spleen of wt p53 controls. Upon treatment with heat-inactivated Corynebacterium parvum, urinary nitrite plus nitrate excretion of p53 KO mice exceeded that of wt controls by approximately 200%. C. parvum treatment also induced p53 accumulation in the liver. Splenectomy reduced the NO output of C. parvum-treated p53 KO mice but not of wt p53 controls. Although NO production and NOS2 protein expression were increased similarly in KO and wt p53 mice 10 days after injection of C. parvum, NOS2 expression returned to baseline levels only in wt p53 controls while remaining up-regulated in p53 KO mice. These genetic and functional data indicate that p53 is an important transrepressor of NOS2 expression in vivo and attenuates excessive NO production in a regulatory negative feedback loop.     

Expression of nitric oxide synthase in human gastric carcinoma and its relation to p53, PCNA

AIM: To investigate the expression of NOS in gastric carcinoma, and to explore the relationship between the expression of nitric oxide synthases (NOS) and p53, PCNA, pathological features and clinical staging of gastric cancer. METHODS: The activity of NOS protein was investigated in 85 samples of human gastric carcinoma and 25 samples of normal gastric mucosal tissue by biochemical assay. We then examined the expression of NOS, p53, PCNA in 85 samples of human gastric cancer was examined by immunohistochemistry, and NOS mRNA expression in 85 gastric cancer tissue specimens by In situ hybridization. RESULTS: Biochemical assay showed that the activity of NOS was significantly higher in gastric carcinoma than in normal gastric mucosal tissues (t=0.4161, P＜0.01). Immunohistochemistry revealed that endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expressed in all samples of normal gastric mucosa, but only 6 cases of 85 gastric cancer specimens showed weak positive immunohistochemical reactions to eNOS (20%). Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was expressed strongly in human gastric carcinoma (81.2%). In situ hybridization analysis showed that iNOS mRNA expression was significantly stronger than eNOS mRNA expression in gastric cancer tissue (X~2 = 10.23, P＜0.01). The expression of iNOS in gastric cancer was associated with differentiation, clinical stages or lymph node metastases (r=0.3426,P＜0.05). However, iNOS expression did not correlate with histological classifications and morphological types. The expression of iNOS was significantly correlated with p53 or PCNA expression (r=0.3612, P＜0.05). The expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) was not examined by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in gastric cancer specimens and normal gastric mucosa. CONCLUSION: In human gastric cancer, there is an enhanced expression of iNOS, but not of eNOS. NOS promotes the proliferation of tumor cells and plays an important role in gastric cancer spread. Inactivation of antioncogene p53 and overexpression of iNOS might play a synergetic role in the process of carcinogenesis of human gastric carcinoma.     

Sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase potentiates apoptosis via p53- and p38-dependent pathways and is down-regulated in colon cancer

Sphingolipid metabolites such as sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramide modulate apoptosis during development and in response to stress. In general, ceramide promotes apoptosis, whereas S1P stimulates cell proliferation and protects against apoptosis. S1P is irreversibly degraded by the enzyme S1P lyase (SPL). In this study, we show a crucial role for SPL in mediating cellular responses to stress. SPL expression in HEK293 cells potentiated apoptosis in response to stressful stimuli including DNA damage. This effect seemed to be independent of ceramide generation but required SPL enzymatic activity and the actions of p38 MAP kinase, p53, p53-inducible death domain protein (PIDD), and caspase-2 as shown by molecular and chemical inhibition of each of these targets. Further, SPL expression led to constitutive activation of p38. Endogenous SPL expression was induced by DNA damage in WT cells, whereas SPL knockdown diminished apoptotic responses. Importantly, SPL expression was significantly down-regulated in human colon cancer tissues in comparison with normal adjacent tissues, as determined by quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) and immunohistochemical analysis. Down-regulation of S1P phosphatases was also observed, suggesting that colon cancer cells manifest a block in S1P catabolism. In addition, SPL expression and activity were down-regulated in adenomatous lesions of the Min mouse model of intestinal tumorigenesis. Taken together, these results indicate that endogenous SPL may play a physiological role in stress-induced apoptosis and provide an example of altered SPL expression in a human tumor. Our findings suggest that genetic or epigenetic changes affecting intestinal S1P metabolism may correlate with and potentially contribute to carcinogenesis.     

p53 mutations increase resistance to ionizing radiation.

Mouse and human tumors of diverse origin frequently have somatically acquired mutations or rearrangements of the p53 gene, or they have lost one or both copies of the gene. Although wild-type p53 protein is believed to function as a tumor-suppressor gene, it is as yet unclear how p53 mutations lead to neoplastic development. Wild-type p53 has been postulated to play a role in DNA repair, suggesting that expression of mutant forms of p53 might alter cellular resistance to the DNA damage caused by gamma radiation. Moreover, p53 is thought to function as a cell cycle checkpoint after irradiation, also suggesting that mutant p53 might change the cellular proliferative response to radiation. We have used transgenic mice expressing one of two mutant alleles of p53 to test this prediction. Our results show that expression of both mutant variants of the mouse p53 gene significantly increases the cellular resistance of a variety of hematopoietic cell lineages to gamma radiation. These observations provide direct evidence that p53 mutations affect the cellular response to DNA damage, either by increasing DNA repair processes or, possibly, by increasing cellular tolerance to DNA damage. The association of p53 mutations with increased radioresistance suggests possible mechanisms through which alterations in the p53 gene might lead to oncogenic transformation.     

Phosphorylation of murine p53 at ser-18 regulates the p53 responses to DNA damage

Ser-15 of human p53 (corresponding to Ser-18 of mouse p53) is phosphorylated by ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) family kinases in response to ionizing radiation (IR) and UV light. To determine the effects of phosphorylation of endogenous murine p53 at Ser-18 on biological responses to DNA damage, we introduced a missense mutation (Ser-18 to Ala) by homologous recombination into both alleles of the endogenous p53 gene in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Our analyses showed that phosphorylation of murine p53 at Ser-18 in response to IR or UV radiation was required for a full p53-mediated response to these DNA damage-inducing agents. In contrast, phosphorylation of p53 at Ser-18 was not required for ATM-dependent cellular resistance after exposure to IR. Additionally, efficient acetylation of the C terminus of p53 in response to DNA damage did not require phosphorylation of murine p53 at Ser-18.     

Wild-type p53 gene expression induces granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells

Overexpression of wild-type p53 gene in malignant cell lines has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation in a number of cases. However, endogenous p53 protein seems to play little role in normal cell-cycle control as suggested by the normal development of p53 null mice, and by the low p53 protein levels expressed in most cell types. Recently, increased expression of endogenous p53 protein has been observed during the cellular response to DNA damage, as well as during differentiation of human hematopoietic cells. To study the role of the p53 gene in hematopoietic differentiation, we introduced the wild-type p53 gene or the temperature-sensitive p53(Val135) mutant into p53-deficient HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Morphological analysis, flow-cytometric determination of granulocytic or monocytic surface markers, and ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) demonstrated that expression of exogenous wild-type p53 gene in HL-60 cells induces differentiation through the granulocytic pathway. Proliferation and cell-cycle analysis performed early after expression of wild-type p53 showed that induction of differentiation is not coupled with growth arrest, which suggests that p53 is involved in differentiation independently of its activity on the cell cycle.     

Effects of exogenous p53 transduction in thyroid tumor cells with different p53 status

Recovery of p53 function in undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma cells carrying an altered p53 gene is able to modify cell tumorigenic properties. It is not known whether such an effect may also be achieved in thyroid cancer cells expressing wild-type p53, as in the majority of differentiated thyroid carcinomas. Effects of p53 transduction in a thyroid carcinoma cell line (FRO) exhibiting a wild-type endogenous p53 gene, in comparison to a cell line (WRO) exhibiting mutant p53, were investigated by using an inducible chimeric construct containing human p53 complementary DNA fused to the ligand binding domain of the estrogen receptor (p53ER). FRO cells were unaffected by exogenous p53 expression in terms of both proliferation and viability. On the contrary, p53 reexpression in WRO cells containing hemizygous mutated p53 allele caused a strong growth inhibition due to cell accumulation in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. In addition, exogenous p53 did not influence FRO cell behavior in response to TSH treatment or modify cell resistance to the chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin. Our results indicate that exogenous expression of wild-type p53 affects thyroid tumorigenic properties only in cells carrying an altered p53, whereas it is ineffective in cells expressing wild-type p53 activity. Therefore, the endogenous p53 status seems to be a major determinant for the effectiveness of a p53-based gene therapy for thyroid cancer.     

p53与一氧化氮的关系及其在肝癌发生中的作用

目的：研究p53与一氧化氮（NO）的关系及其在肝癌发生中的作用。方法：用免疫组化法对21全肝癌标本中p53、诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS)及增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）的表达进行原位检测和观察。结果：癌旁组织（距癌组织边缘＜1．5cm)iNOS表达多呈阳性,非癌组织（距离组织边缘＞1．5cm)多呈阴性或弥漫弱阳性;iNOS在周边癌组织及侵入纤维组织的癌细胞中呈阳性,癌组织核心多呈阴性或弥漫弱阳性。p53阳性率为47．6％。p53表达阳性区,iNOS表达也呈阳性。PCNA的表达与p53及iNOS一致。结论：肝癌旁组织中p53的表达与NO相关,与肝癌的发生、发展有关。     

p53 deficiency does not affect the accumulation of point mutations in a transgene target.

DNA repair is required by organisms to prevent the accumulation of mutations and to maintain the integrity of genetic information. Mammalian cells that have been treated with agents that damage DNA have an increase in p53 levels, a p53-dependent arrest at G1 in the cell cycle, and a p53-dependent apoptotic response. It has been hypothesized that this block in cell cycle progression is necessary to allow time for DNA repair or to direct the damaged cell to an apoptotic pathway. This hypothesis predicts that p53-deficient cells would have an abnormal apoptotic response and exhibit a "mutator" phenotype. Using a sensitive assay for the accumulation of point mutations, small deletions, and insertions, we have directly tested whether p53-deficient cells exhibit an increased frequency of mutation before and after exposure to DNA-damaging agents. We report that wild-type and p53-deficient fibroblasts, thymocytes, and tumor tissue have indistinguishable rates of point mutation accumulation in a transgenic lacI target gene. These results suggest that the role of p53 in G1 checkpoint control and tumor suppression does not affect the accumulation of point mutations.     

MicroRNA-149*, a p53-responsive microRNA, functions as an oncogenic regulator in human melanoma

The tumor suppressor p53 is activated in response to cellular stress to prevent malignant transformation by activation of the DNA repair machinery to preserve the cell, or by induction of apoptosis to eliminate the cell should the damage prove irrevocable. The gene encoding p53 frequently undergoes inactivating mutations in many human cancers, but WT p53 is often expressed at high levels in melanoma, which, as judged from the malignant nature of the disease, fails to act as an effective tumor suppressor. Here we show that p53 directly up-regulates microRNA-149* (miR-149*) that in turn targets glycogen synthase kinase-3α, resulting in increased expression of Mcl-1 and resistance to apoptosis in melanoma cells. Although deficiency in miR-149* undermined survival of melanoma cells and inhibited melanoma growth in a mouse xenograft model, elevated expression of miR-149* was found in fresh human metastatic melanoma isolates, which was associated with decreased glycogen synthase kinase-3α and increased Mcl-1. These results reveal a p53-dependent, miR-149*-mediated pathway that contributes to survival of melanoma cells, provides a rational explanation for the ineffectiveness of p53 to suppress melanoma, and identifies the expression of miR-149* as a mechanism involved in the increased expression of Mcl-1 in melanoma cells.     

Human vascular smooth muscle cells from restenosis or in-stent stenosis sites demonstrate enhanced responses to p53: implications for brachytherapy and drug treatment for restenosis

The p53 tumor suppressor gene regulates growth arrest and apoptosis after DNA damage. Recent studies suggest that p53 is inactive in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in human angioplasty restenosis, promoting VSMC accumulation and vessel stenosis. In contrast, the success of irradiation (brachytherapy) for in-stent restenosis argues that DNA-damage p53 responses are intact. We examined p53 expression and function in human VSMCs from normal vessels (n-VSMCs) and angioplasty/in-stent restenosis sites (r-VSMCs). p53 expression was uniformly low in all VSMCs and was induced by DNA damage. However, p53 induced profoundly different biological effects in r-VSMCs versus n-VSMCs, causing growth arrest and apoptosis in r-VSMCs only. In addition, dominant-negative p53 promoted cell proliferation and apoptosis in r-VSMCs but not n-VSMCs. Cytotoxic drug-- or irradiation-induced growth arrest and apoptosis in both cell types was mediated only partly by p53. In contrast, cyclin D degradation in response to DNA damage, a critical early mediator of growth arrest, was impaired in r-VSMCs, an effect that required p53. We conclude that p53 expression and function are normal or increased in r-VSMCs and may underlie the success of brachytherapy. We also identify a restenosis VSMC-specific defect in cyclin D degradation induced by DNA damage.     

The presence of p53 mutations in human osteosarcomas correlates with high levels of genomic instability

The p53 gene is a critical tumor suppressor that is inactivated in a majority of cancers. The central role of p53 in response to stresses such as DNA damage, hypoxia, and oncogene activation underlies this high frequency of negative selection during tumorigenic transformation. Mutations in p53 disrupt checkpoint responses to DNA damage and result in the potential for destabilization of the genome. Consistent with this, p53 mutant cells have been shown to accumulate genomic alterations in cell culture, mouse models, and some human tumors. The relationship between p53 mutation and genomic instability in human osteosarcoma is addressed in this report. Similar to some other primary human tumors, the mutation of p53 correlates significantly with the presence of high levels of genomic instability in osteosarcomas. Surprisingly, osteosarcomas harboring an amplification of the HDM2 oncogene, which inhibits the tumor-suppressive properties of p53, do not display high levels of genomic instability. These results demonstrate that the inactivation of p53 in osteosarcomas directly by mutation versus indirectly by HDM2 amplification may have different cellular consequences with respect to the stability of the genome.