SV40 oncoproteins enhance asbestos-induced DNA double-strand breaks and abrogate senescence in murine mesothelial cells

SV40 virus has emerged as a potential cofactor with asbestos in the development of diffuse malignant mesothelioma, but its precise role in the pathogenesis of this tumor is unclear. SV40 large T antigen is known to inactivate cellular proteins involved in DNA damage and senescence, including p53 and pRb. We hypothesize that SV40 oncoproteins will sensitize mesothelial cells to DNA damage induced by asbestos or chemotherapeutic agents. SV40 oncoprotein expression in murine mesothelial cell lines enhanced spontaneous and asbestos-induced double-strand breaks, indicated by gamma-H2AX foci, and potentiated micronucleus formation. Mesothelial cells exposed to asbestos or bleomycin for 96 h acquired senescent-like morphology and displayed elevated senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity, reduced bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) incorporation, and reduced colony formation. SV40 oncoprotein expression abrogated the senescent phenotype, and transfected cell lines showed an increase in both BrdUrd incorporation and colony formation after prolonged DNA damage. Murine mesothelial cell lines lacking wild-type p53 due to a point mutation or gene rearrangement also failed to senesce in response to asbestos or chemotherapeutic agents. In addition, stress-induced senescence in human mesothelial cell lines was impaired by SV40 oncoprotein expression (MeT-5A), p53 small interfering RNA, or spontaneous p53 mutation (REN). These studies suggest that exposure to DNA-damaging agents can induce senescence in both murine and human mesothelioma cell lines and suggest a major, although not exclusive, role for p53 in this response. SV40 virus may contribute to mesothelioma progression by impairing stress-induced senescence, in part through p53 inactivation, thereby favoring survival and proliferation of mesothelial cells that have sustained DNA damage.     

Expression of p53 after sv40 virus-infection of quiescent cells

SV40 infection of quiescent mouse cells leads to a re-entry of the cells into the cell cycle and to cellular DNA synthesis. At about 2 hours after virus infection the p53 protein becomes detectable. By using the p53 specific monoclonal antibody PAb246 we were able to demonstrate that p53 is expressed in wild-type conformation. At late time after virus infection wild-type p53 is complexed to the SV40 large T antigen. SV40 infection of quiescent cells in the presence of an elevated level of cAMP does not result in cellular DNA synthesis and not in expression of elevated levels of p53 suggesting that p53 is implicated in stimulation of cellular DNA synthesis. Phosphorylation of p53 increases with time after SV40 infection of quiescent cells indicating that phosphorylation of p53 varies during cell cycle progression.     

HSV- and chemical carcinogen-induced amplification of SV40 DNA sequences in transformed cells is cell-line-dependent

Eleven simian virus 40-transformed cell lines from 5 different species were tested for their ability to amplify integrated simian virus 40 DNA upon infection with herpes simplex virus type I or treatment with various chemical carcinogens. Four cell lines were positive only for virus-induced gene amplification and two lines were positive for both carcinogen- and virus-induced gene amplification. Individual cell lines were assayed for the presence of an intact SV40 origin of replication, the expression of a functional SV40 T-antigen, and permissivity to herpes simplex virus replication. These parameters were found to be positive in all 6 amplification-competent cell lines. The ability of herpes simplex virus to amplify SV40 DNA sequences in transformed cells is greater than that of chemical carcinogens and can be suppressed by specific inhibitors of the herpes virus-encoded DNA polymerase.     

Characterization of the surface proteins of SV40-transformed mouse and human cells: absence of SV40-specific proteins

The proteins of a number of SV40- and spontaneously transformed mouse and human cell lines were compared in an effort to identify a surface protein which would correspond to the SV40 tumor-specific transplantation antigen (TSTA). Analysis of the one- and two-dimensional electrophoretic patterns of 35S-methionine-labelled total proteins and 125I-labelled surface proteins of several of these cell lines failed to reveal the presence of proteins specific to transformation by SV40. Antisera were prepared against SV40- and spontaneously transformed mouse cells in syngeneic mice. In serological assays, these antisera reacted with surface antigens common to both SV40- and spontaneously transformed mouse cell lines. Electrophoretic analysis of the 125I-surface-labelled proteins which these antisera immunoprecipitated from extracts of SV40- and spontaneously transformed mouse and human cells identified a set of common surface proteins with apparent molecular weights of 15, 46, 50, 72, 77, 105, 150 and 230kdal. No SV40-specific surface proteins were detected. Two of the transformed cell surface proteins (105 and 150kdal) were present as well in membrane fractions of 35S-methionine-labelled primary mouse kidney cultures. The proteins of the primary cultures could not be iodinated by lactoperoxidase suggesting that these proteins were present at a "cryptic" location at the surface of normal cells. We were not able to obtain serological or immunochemical evidence for the presence of SV40 large T-antigen at the surface of any of the SV40-transformed cell lines tested using either hamster anti-SV40 tumor sera, a rabbit antiserum against SDS-denatured gel-purified large T-antigen or antisera against SV40-transformed mouse cells. In conjunction with the report that large T-antigen released from disrupted SV40-transformed cells will bind to cell surfaces (Lange-Mutschler and Henning, 1982), we consider the possibility that the specific rejection of SV40-induced tumors by sensitized animals is the result of immunological reactions against both common transformation-related surface antigens and SV40 T-antigen from disrupted cells that has bound to the surface of other tumor cells.     

Tissue-specific expression of SV40 in tumors associated with the Li-Fraumeni syndrome

Inactivation of wild-type p53 tumor suppressor function is the primary mechanism of tumor initiation in Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) individuals with germline p53 mutations. Tumors derived from LFS patients frequently retain the normal p53 allele, suggesting that alternative mechanisms in addition to gene deletion must be involved in inactivating wild-type p53 protein. DNA tumor viruses, such as SV40, target p53 for inactivation through the action of viral oncoproteins. We studied the probands from two unrelated LFS families, each of whom presented with multiple malignant neoplasms. Patient 1 developed an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and a choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC), while patient 2 developed a CPC and subsequently presented with both an osteosarcoma (OS) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We utilized DNA sequence analysis and immunohistochemistry to determine p53 gene status in the germline and tumors, as well as evidence for SV40 T-antigen oncoprotein expression. Each patient harbored a heterozygous germline p53 mutation at codons 175 and 273, respectively. In patient 1, the normal p53 gene was lost while the mutant p53 allele was reduced to homozygosity in the RMS. Both normal and mutant genes were maintained in the CPC. In patient 2, normal and mutant p53 alleles were retained in both the CPC and RCC. Both specific PCR and immunostaining detected SV40 T-antigen in both CPCs and the RCC. In addition to chromosomal alterations, epigenetic mechanisms may disrupt p53 function during tumorigenesis. In two LFS patients, we found SV40 DNA sequences and viral T-antigen expression that could account for inactivation of the normal p53 protein. Inactivation of p53 or other tumor suppressors by viral proteins may contribute to tumor formation in specific tissues of genetically susceptible individuals.     

Induction of tumors in Syrian hamsters by a human renal papovavirus, RF strain.

Injection of RF virus (RFV), a papovavirus isolated from human urine, into newborn Syrian hamsters induced subcutaneous sarcomas in 50% of the recipients with 18- to 48-week latent periods. Transplantation of 2 X 10(6) primary RFV-induced tumor cells into weaning hamsters caused tumors in 100% of the recipients within 1-2 weeks. Continuous tissue culture cell lines were established from two primary tumors; one of these was transplantable. An in vitro-transformed continuous cell line (RF-194) obtained by infection of primary hamster embryo fibroblasts with RFV was transplantable in weaning hamsters. Neither infectious RFV nor virion antigens were detected in transformed cells. No RFV was recovered when transformed cells were fused with permissive, human embryo kidney cells by means of inactivated Sendai virus. Immunoperoxidase staining was used to show that all three RFV-transformed cell lines contained an intranuclear T-antigen closely similar to that of simian virus 40(SV40)-infected cells. Most hamsters (84%) with primary or transplanted RFV tumors responded with antibodies that reacted with RFV T-antigen and the T-antigen of SV40-infected cells. Likewise, hamster antisera against SV40 T-antigen cross-reacted with RFV T-antigen. Adsorption of RFV T-antisera with an excess of lyophilized SV40-transformed cells removed all detectable activity against SV40 T-antigen but left significant activity against RFV T-antigen. The reciprocal adsorption produced an antiserum spedicic for SV40 T-antigen. Thus human and simian papovavirus T-antigens were related but immunologically separable.     

The early response to DNA damage can lead to activation of alternative splicing activity resulting in CD44 splice pattern changes

Expression of the human papillomavirus 16 E6 oncogene interferes with several vital cellular processes, including the p53-dependent response to DNA damage. To assess the influence of E6 on the early response to DNA damage, we analyzed gene expression following mitomycin C-induced genotoxic stress in human E6-expressing U2OS cells (U2OSE64b) as well as in p53-expressing control cells (U2OSE6AS) by comparative global expression profiling. As expected, genes involved in p53-dependent pathways were activated in p53-expressing cells. In the U2OSE64b cells, however, a largely nonoverlapping group of genes was identified, including two splicing factors of the SR family. Immunoblot analysis revealed increased expression of several SR proteins during the early response to DNA damage, which was accompanied by activation of alternative splicing activity. Disruption of splicing activity by treatment with small interfering RNA directed against splicing factor SRp55 resulted in the increased viability of p53-deficient cells following DNA damage. To determine whether the transient activation of splicing activity was due to E6-mediated degradation of p53, or was due to some other activity of E6, we compared the early response of the p53 wild-type and p53-/- isogenic HCT116 cell lines, and found that the increase in splicing activity was observed only in the absence of p53. Finally, both the U2OSE64b and the p53-/- cells showed altered splicing patterns for the CD44 receptor. Together, these data show that cells lacking p53 can activate alternative splicing following DNA damage.     

Defective repair of UV-damaged DNA in human tumor and SV40-transformed human cells but not in adenovirus-transformed human cells

The DNA repair capacities of five human tumor cell lines, one SV40-transformed human cell line and one adenovirus-transformed human cell line were compared with that of normal human fibroblasts using a sensitive host cell reactivation (HCR) technique. Unirradiated and UV-irradiated suspensions of adenovirus type 2 (Ad 2) were assayed for their ability to form viral structural antigens (Vag) in the various cell types using immunofluorescent staining. The survival of Vag formation for UV-irradiated Ad 2 was significantly reduced in all the human tumor cell lines and the SV40-transformed human line compared to the normal human fibroblasts, but was apparently normal in the adenovirus-transformed human cells. D0 values for the UV survival of Ad 2 Vag synthesis in the tumor and virally transformed lines expressed as a percentage of that obtained on normal fibroblast strains were used as a measure of DNA repair capacity. Percent HCR values ranged from 26 to 53% in the tumor cells. These results indicate a deficiency in the repair of UV-induced DNA damage associated with human tumorigenesis and the transformation of human cells by SV40 but not the transformation of human cells by adenovirus.     

Mutant p53 proteins bind hsp 72/73 cellular heat shock-related proteins in SV40-transformed monkey cells

We have examined the expression of a series of mouse mutant, as well as wild-type, p53 proteins in SV40-transformed monkey COS cells. Wild-type mouse p53 binds predominantly to SV40 large T antigen in these cells. However, several of the mutants co-precipitate exclusively with proteins of approximately 68 Kd relative molecular mass. We show by immunological and proteolytic mapping techniques that these proteins are identical to the hsp 72/73 heat shock proteins. p53 mutants in complex with hsp 72/73 have an altered subcellular location compared to the wild-type protein and the hsp 72/73 binding p53 mutants fail to exhibit an epitope recognized by monoclonal antibody PAb 246. The existence of at least two antigenically distinct subclasses of hsp 72/73 complexed to mutant p53 is shown.     

Autoimmune expression of a cytoplasmic protein p60 in mice bearing metastasizing SV40-transformed tumors

In STU mice bearing metastasizing SV40-transformed 51A-232B-M tumors, an immune response against a cellular 60kDa protein (p60) developed in about 50% of the tumor-bearing animals, in addition to the response against SV40 large T-antigen and cellular protein p53. The anti-p60 auto-immune response could be observed as early as 11 days after tumor challenge and was strictly linked with metastatic spread but was not a prerequisite for metastasis. Anti-p60 antibodies could not be detected in sera of animals bearing metastasizing Rous-sarcoma virus-transformed or methylcholanthrene-induced tumors, or in sera from human cancer patients with clinically confirmed metastatic spread. The anti-p60 auto-antibodies showed a broad cross-reactivity against components of similar size in a great number of cell lines of various species and in normal mouse tissue. The p60 auto-antigen is a cytoplasmic protein which is neither phosphorylated nor glycosylated in vivo. Immunoblotting performed with fresh cell lysates under non-reducing conditions using tumor-bearer sera revealed a diffuse p60 double band, but under reducing conditions only one sharp p60 band was observed. The reaction of p60 with anti-p60 auto-antibodies could be completely blocked by pre-treatment of fresh cell lysates with N-ethylmaleimide or p-chloromercuriphenyl sulfonate, or by oxidation in air prior to immunoblotting, indicating that the anti-p60 autoimmune response was directed against an epitope sensitive to SH-group-blocking reagents. Immunofluorescence studies with tumor-bearer sera showed only a very weak cytoplasmic fluorescence, possibly due to the nature of the p60 SH-groups in situ being masked. Immunoprecipitates with monoclonal antibodies against SV40 large T-antigen and p53 obtained from fresh cell lysates of SV40-transformed tumor cells contained no associated p60 auto-antigen. The p60 auto-antigen was purified from tumor cell homogenates with an enrichment factor of about 2,000; its iso-electric point is at pH 6.8. Determination of the biological half-life of p60 yielded a value of about 28 hr. The p60 auto-antibodies in pools of tumor-bearer sera taken at day 40 after tumor challenge all belonged to the IgG1 subclass.     

Induction experiments with adenovirus and polyoma virus transformed cell lines

Techniques used successfully in inducing SV40-transformed cells to produce infectious SV40 were employed in an attempt to induce cells transformed by other oncogenic DNA viruses, adenoviruses 2 and 12 and polyoma virus. These techniques included cocultivation and fusion of transformed cells with indicator cells, and mitomycin C treatment of these heterokaryons and of transformed cells. In addition, prior to induction experiments, some cell lines were passaged through animals or in the presence of BUdR in an effort to enhance their inducibility. All attempts to induce these transformed cells were unsuccessful. It is concluded from this study that the polyoma and adenovirus genomes, if present in their entirety in cells transformed with these viruses, are not as reactivable as is the SV40 genome in SV40-transformed cells.     

Transplantable mouse tumor line induced by injection of SV40-transformed mouse kidney cells

A transplantable tumor of inbred mice was obtained by inoculating BALB/c mice subcutaneously with SV40-transformed mouse kidney (mKS-A) cells. Tumors were produced by mKS-A cells in the 71st cell culture passage, but not by cells in the 26th passage. The tumor line has been serially passed in BALB/c mice 14 times. In vitro cell culture lines were derived from tumors after 1, 2, 8, 10 and 12 passages in mice. The tumors, as well as the In vitro tumor cell lines, contained SV40 T-antigen, and sera from the tumor-bearing mice contained antibodies to the SV40 T-antigen. SV40 was rescued from the In vitro tumor cell lines after fusion with green monkey kidney (CV-1) cells in the presence of UV-irradiated Sendai virus. The In vitro tumor cell lines derived from mouse passages 8, 10 and 12 were used as SV40 virus; 2) SV40-transformed cell lines; 3) primary mouse (BALB/c or Yale Swiss) kidney cells, or 4) primary mouse (BALB/c or Yale Swiss) embryo cells. These results showed that the tumor line and the In vitro tumor cell lines have the transplantation antigen.     

SV40 large T-antigen disturbs the formation of nuclear DNA-repair foci containing MRE11

The accumulation of DNA repair proteins at the sites of DNA damage can be visualized in mutagenized cells at the single cell level as discrete nuclear foci by immunofluorescent staining. Formation of nuclear foci in irradiated human fibroblasts, as detected by antibodies directed against the DNA repair protein MRE11, is significantly disturbed by the presence of the viral oncogene, SV40 large T-antigen. The attenuation of foci formation was found in both T-antigen immortalized cells and in cells transiently expressing T-antigen, indicating that it is not attributable to secondary mutations but to T-antigen expression itself. ATM-mediated nibrin phosphorylation was not altered, thus the disturbance of MRE11 foci formation by T-antigen is independent of this event. The decrease in MRE11 foci was particularly pronounced in T-antigen immortalized cells from the Fanconi anaemia complementation group FA-D2. FA-D2 cells produce essentially no MRE11 DNA repair foci after ionizing irradiation and have a significantly increased cellular radiosensitivity at low radiation doses. The gene mutated in FA-D2 cells, FANCD2, codes for a protein which also locates to nuclear foci and may, therefore, be involved in MRE11 foci formation, at least in T-antigen immortalized cells. This finding possibly links Fanconi anaemia proteins to the frequently reported increased sensitivity of Fanconi anaemia cells to transformation by SV40. From a practical stand point these findings are particularly relevant to the many studies on DNA repair which exploit the advantages of SV40 immortalized cell lines. The interference of T-antigen with DNA repair processes, as demonstrated here, should be borne in mind when interpreting such studies.     

SV40 infection induces telomerase activity in human mesothelial cells

Mesotheliomas are malignant tumors of the pleural and peritoneal membranes which are often associated with asbestos exposure and with Simian virus 40 (SV40) infection. Telomerase activity is repressed in somatic cells and tissues but is activated in immortal and malignant cells. We evaluated telomerase activity in seven primary malignant mesothelioma biopsies and matched lung specimens and 20 mesothelioma cell lines and eight corresponding primary tumor cultures. All the tumor biopsies, and nearly all primary cell mesothelioma cultures and cell lines were telomerase positive. The findings in cell lines paralleled those observed in primary cultures in cases where paired samples were available. Next, we found that SV40, a DNA tumor virus present in approximately 50% of mesothelioma biopsies in the USA, induced telomerase activity in primary human mesothelial cells, but not in primary fibroblasts. Telomerase activity became detectable as early as 72 h following wild-type (strain 776) SV40 infection, and a clear DNA ladder was detectable 1 week after infection. The amount of telomerase activity increased during passage in cell culture and appeared to parallel increases in the cellular amounts of the SV40 large T-antigen. Thus, SV40 infection leads to telomerase activity before the infected mesothelial cells become transformed and immortalized. SV40 infection of human fibroblasts did not cause detectable telomerase activity. We also determined that the SV40 small t-antigen (tag) plays an important role in inducing telomerase activity because this activity was undetectable or minimal in mesothelial cells infected and/or transformed by SV40 tag mutants. Asbestos alone did not induce telomerase activity, and asbestos did not influence telomerase activity in mesothelial cells infected with SV40. Induction of telomerase activity by SV40 may be related to the very high rate of mesothelial cell immortalization that is characteristically associated with SV40 infection of mesothelial cells.     

Subcellular distribution of the tumor-specific transplantation antigen of simian virus 40-transformed cells.

TU-5, a simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed cell line of BALB/c origin, expressed the SV40-specific T-antigen and a transplantation antigen (TSTA). Nuclei and plasma membranes were prepared from these cells and shown on the basis of the distribution of T-antigen and histocompatibility (H-2) antigens to be relatively free of cross contamination. Most of the TSTA, estimated by tumor rejection, was associated with the nuclear fraction.     

Differential-effects of transforming growth-factor-Beta-1 on protein-levels of p21 waf and cdk-2 and on cdk-2 kinase-activity in human rd and ccl64 mink lung-cells

Currently, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 WAF-1 is considered to be a crucial downstream effector in the p53-specific pathway of negative growth control in mammalian cells. Wild-type p53, but not mutant forms of this protein, transactivate the WAF-1 gene. We show a correlation between growth-inhibition and induction of WAF-1 protein expression following transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) treatment of two human tumour cell lines devoid of wild-type p53 protein and in SV40-transformed WI38 fibroblasts. Inversely, TGF-beta 1 treatment of normal WI38 fibroblasts stimulates their growth and represses WAF-1 protein synthesis. As the mink lung epithelial CCL64 cell line is frequently used in TGF-B studies we included it in this study: TGF-beta 1 growth-inhibition is accompanied by induction of WAF-1 synthesis concomitantly with a reduction of cdk2 synthesis and of its histone kinase activity. However in the human tumour line RD, TGF-beta 1 did not affect cdk-2 protein levels but did reduce its histone kinase activity.