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p53 contains a DNA break-binding motif similar to the functional part of BRCT-related region of Rb.

The BRCT regions are two repeating structures at BRCA1 carboxyl-terminus and are ubiquitous in some proteins involved in DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoints. It was shown that BRCTs of TopBP1, BRCA1, and BRCT-Ws of Rb bound DNA ends and breaks. We indicate here that the C-terminus of p53 tumor suppressor contains a DNA binding motif (residues 327-333 in human), whose features are similar to those of the part of BRCT-W in Rb with DNA binding activity. The short motif was required for the gel retardation activity of DNA fragments, since residues 311-333 showed the activity while residues 311-326 showed no activity. Significant numbers of total p53 and its fragments with the motif formed multimerizing complexes and associated with DNA ends and breaks. These results suggest the common presence of DNA binding motifs that can recognize DNA ends or damages in major tumor suppressors, Rb, BRCA1 and p53. The oncogenic activity of p53 C-terminus (residues 311-393) required both the DNA damage recognition motif and the repair enzyme-associating domain.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

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.

Animals↗

Up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/cyclin D2 expression but down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 2/cyclin E in testicular germ cell tumors.

Testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) characteristically display two chromosome 12 abnormalities: the isochromosome i(12p) and concomitant deletions of the long arm. Some genes important in the control of the G(1)-S cell cycle checkpoint G(1)-S, i.e., cyclin-dependent kinases 2 and 4, cyclin D2 are located on this chromosomal region. Therefore, testicular GCTs were analyzed as to the expression of CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, and the expression of their catalytic partners cyclins D1, D2 and E by semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Cyclin D2, located on 12p, was overexpressed in 69% (31 of 45) of the tumors by a mean factor of 8, including all histological subtypes. In addition, the cyclin D2 partner CDK4 was increased in 41% (21 of 51) of all tumors by a factor of 6, most strongly in embryonal carcinomas. Sixty-four percent of the seminomas and 23% of the non-seminomas had decreased expression of CDK6 by a mean factor of 5 (P = 0.009). Statistical analysis using configural frequency analysis and regression analysis revealed that cyclin D2 and CDK4 expression were strongly correlated (r(2) = 0.682; P = 0.000052), whereas expression of CDK6 did not correlate with either of them (r(2) = 0.382; P = 0.00085). CDK2 and its catalytic partner cyclin E were down-regulated in 40% (19 of 47) and 42% (19 of 45) of the tumors, respectively, by a factor of 7 each. Western blots and immunohistochemical experiments confirmed cyclin D2 and CDK4 overrepresentation and reduced expression of cyclin E and CDK2 tumors in the few tumors under protein study. Despite its localization on 12q13, a hot spot for loss of heterozygosity in testicular GCTs (>40%), Southern blotting revealed no gross DNA alteration of the CDK2 gene. Because up-regulation of the cyclin D2/CDK4 complex and down-regulation of cyclin E/CDK2 complex were found in seminomas as well as in non-seminomas and in all tumor stages, these findings seem to be early events during tumorigenesis of testicular GCTS: Together with previous findings that retinoblastoma mRNA and protein expression is strongly decreased in these tumors, these data suggest an unusual deregulated G(1)-S checkpoint as a decisive event for germ cell tumors.

CDC2-CDC28 Kinases↗

Involvement of the MAP kinase pathways in induction of GADD45 following UV radiation.

The p53-regulated stress-inducible gene GADD45 has been shown to participate in cellular response to DNA damage, including cell cycle checkpoint, apoptosis, and DNA repair. However, the regulation of GADD45 expression is complex and may involve both p53-dependent and -independent pathways. Recent findings have demonstrated that the p53-independent induction of GADD45 is mainly regulated by the transcription factors Oct-1 and NF-YA, which directly bind to their consensus motifs located at the GADD45 promoter region. Here, we report that mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are involved in the induction of the GADD45 promoter after DNA damage. Inhibition of JNK1 and ERK kinase activities either by expression of the dominant negative mutant JNK1 or by treatment with a selective chemical inhibitor of ERK (PD098059) substantially abrogates the UV induction of the GADD45 promoter. In contrast, a p38 kinase inhibitor (SB203580) has little effect on GADD45 induction by UV. In addition, the GADD45 promoter is strongly activated following expression of JNK1; Raf-1, which is an upstream activator of the ERK pathway; or MEK1, an upstream activator of both the ERK and the JNK pathways. Activation of the GADD45 promoter by MAP kinases does not require normal p53 function. Interestingly, the MAP kinase-regulatory effect appears to be mediated via OCT-1 and CAAT motifs since disruption of these sites abrogates activation of the GADD45 promoter by MAP kinases. Therefore, these findings indicate that the MAP kinase pathways are involved in the regulation of the p53-independent induction of the GADD45 promoter, probably via interaction with transcription factors that directly bind to OCT-1 and CAAT motifs.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Ionizing radiation inhibits the PLK cell cycle gene in a G2 checkpoint-dependent manner.

Tumor cell cycle arrest at the cell cycle G2/M boundary after ionizing radiation involves inhibition of the Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1). We recently found that the mechanism comprised repression of its gene, PLK, mediated by the tumor-suppressor protein BRCA1. In the present study we examined the regulatory responses on PLK and cell cycle phases in breast carcinoma cell lines exposed to various modes of therapeutic irradiation. The tumor cells, harboring different DNA damage checkpoint defects, were irradiated with either a single dose of 8.0 Gy or fractionated doses accumulating to 8.0 Gy. In the BRCA1-/- HCC1937 cell line both radiation regimens caused moderate repression of PLK mRNA expression, whereas the reconstituted wild-type (wt) BRCA1 genotype of the HCC1937/BRCA1wt cell line was associated with significant down-regulation of PLK mRNA expression after irradiation. In contrast to the HCC1937 cell lines, the MCF7/LCC2 cells displayed the characteristic wt TP53 constitution of persistent, radiation-induced CDKN1A mRNA expression (encoding the G1 cell cycle inhibitor p21(Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1)). The regulatory effects on PLK in the MCF7/LCC2 cells, however, were identical to those in the HCC1937/BRCA1wt cell line. Moreover, whereas neither HCC1937 cell line displayed G1/S cell cycle arrest after irradiation but, instead, an apparent accumulation of G2/M-phase cells, the radiation-induced delay at the G1/S boundary seemed to be superior to arrest at the G2/M transition in the MCF7/LCC2 cell line. Since the down-regulation of PLK mRNA expression by ionizing radiation was identical in the wt TP53 MCF7/LCC2 cell line and the TP53-mutated BRCA1-/- HCC1937 cell line reconstituted with wt BRCA1, we conclude that this regulatory effect solely requires an intact G2 checkpoint effector mechanism.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Molecular epidemiology of human cancer risk: gene-environment interactions and p53 mutation spectrum in human lung cancer.

The p53 tumour suppressor gene is at the crossroads of a network of cellular pathways including cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair, chromosomal segregation, and apoptosis. These pathways have evolved to maintain the stability of the genome during cellular stress from DNA damage, hypoxia, and activated oncogenes. The high frequency of p53 mutations in human cancer is a reflection of the importance of p53 involvement in this network of pathways during human carcinogenesis. An electronic database containing p53 mutations from more than 9000 cancers (http:/(/)www.iarc.fr/p53/homepage.html) can be used to generate hypotheses for further clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory investigations. For example, one can hypothesize that (a) p53 mutations vary in their pathobiological significance; (b) cellular content influences the selection of p53 mutations in clonally derived cancers; (c) the location and type of mutation within the p53 gene provide clues to functional domains in the gene product; and (d) the p53 mutation spectrum can be a molecular link between aetiological agents and human cancer. This review will focus on the role of p53 and cancer susceptibility genes in the molecular pathogenesis and epidemiology of human lung cancer.

Cocarcinogenesis↗

CDK4 gene amplification in osteosarcoma: reciprocal relationship with INK4A gene alterations and mapping of 12q13 amplicons.

The INK4A gene, localized to human chromosome 9p21, encodes p16INK4A, a tumor suppressor that functions at least in part through the inhibition of CDK4, a cyclin-dependent kinase encoded by a gene at 12q13. To examine INK4A gene alterations in uncultured samples of osteosarcoma and the relationship between INK4A and CDK4 alterations, we analyzed the INK4A and CDK4 genes in 87 specimens from 79 patients. INK4A deletion and CDK4 gene amplification were determined by quantitative Southern blot analysis. INK4A exon 2 was screened for mutation by polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis. Methylation at the CpG island in INK4A, associated with loss of p16INK4A expression, was assessed by Southern blot analysis using methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes. INK4A deletion (4/55) or rearrangement (1/55) was found in 5 of 55 cases. No INK4A exon 2 point mutations and methylation were detected. CDK4 gene amplification was found in 6 of 67 samples, but not in tumors with INK4A alteration. Amplification analysis of other genes at 12q13 (GLI, CHOP, HMGI-C and MDM2) in these 6 cases supports the view that CDK4 and MDM2 are independent targets for amplification, with variable amplification of the intervening region containing HMGI-C. Of 46 patients studied for both INK4A alterations and CDK4 amplification, the tumors in 22% contained one or the other. The prevalence of these alterations, in conjunction with the reported inactivation of RB in up to 80% of cases, suggests that genetic lesions deregulating the G1 to S cell cycle checkpoint may be an almost constant feature in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma.

Adolescent↗

Defending genome integrity during DNA replication: a proposed role for RecQ family helicases.

The RecQ family of DNA helicases have been shown to be important for the maintenance of genomic integrity in all organisms analysed to date. In human cells, representatives of this family include the proteins defective in the cancer predisposition disorder Bloom's syndrome and the premature ageing condition, Werner's syndrome. Several pieces of evidence suggest that RecQ family helicases form associations with one or more of the cellular topoisomerases, and together these heteromeric complexes manipulate DNA structure to effect efficient DNA replication, genetic recombination, or both. Here, we propose that RecQ helicases are required for ensuring that structural abnormalities arising during replication, such as at sites where replication forks encounter DNA lesions, are corrected with high fidelity. In mutants defective in these proteins, not only is replication abnormal, but cells display aberrant responses to DNA-damaging agents or inhibitors of DNA synthesis. We suggest that RecQ helicases may be important for the integration of cellular responses to these insults, such as by linking cell cycle checkpoint responses to recombinational repair.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Loss of p16(INK4a) expression correlates with decreased survival in pediatric osteosarcomas.

Abnormalities of the G1 cell-cycle checkpoint are commonly reported in cancers at various anatomic sites. pRB, p16(INK4a) and cyclin D1 are critical G1-checkpoint proteins responsible for maintaining the balance of cellular proliferation. We examined a series of 38 pediatric osteosarcomas for abnormal expression of pRB, p16(INK4a) and cyclin D1 by immunohistochemical analysis of archival biopsy specimens. Overall, 17/38 (45%) osteosarcomas showed evidence of G1-checkpoint abrogation, including 11/38 (29%) with loss of pRB expression and 6/38 (16%) with loss of p16(INK4a) expression. Cyclin D1 over-expression was not detected. There was an inverse correlation between loss of pRB and p16(INK4a) expression (p = 0.07). pRB and p16(INK4a) abnormalities were independent of site of disease, presence of metastasis at diagnosis and percentage of tumor necrosis in the resection specimen. Clinical follow-up was available on all patients (median 31.6 months, range 5.9-116 months). Absence of p16(INK4a) expression significantly correlated with decreased survival in univariate analysis (p = 0.03), while loss of pRB expression did not affect survival. Immunohistochemical analysis of p16(INK4a) expression in pediatric osteosarcomas may be a useful adjunctive marker of prognosis.

Adolescent↗

Lymphoma development in Sjögren's syndrome: novel p53 mutations.

OBJECTIVE: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltrations of the exocrine glands. Disease progression may lead to uncontrolled clonal proliferation of B lymphocytes and development of lymphoma. This study was undertaken to examine the possible involvement of the cell cycle checkpoint genes p53 and p21 in the pathophysiology of the syndrome. METHODS: Protein expression of p53 and p21 was studied, by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis, in minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsy specimens from 7 patients with SS and 5 control subjects. In addition, sequence analysis of the p53 gene was performed on DNA samples obtained from MSG biopsy samples of the same 7 patients with SS and from 4 patients with SS and in situ non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). RESULTS: The study revealed increased protein expression of p53 and p21 in MSG biopsy specimens from patients as compared with controls, while sequence analysis showed that the p53 gene was of the wild type. Furthermore, sequence analysis of the p53 gene from patients with SS and in situ NHL revealed 2 novel mutations in exon 5 of the p53 gene. These mutations are single-base substitutions and appear to be functional since exon 5 is included in the coding region of the p53 gene. CONCLUSION: This is the first report on wild-type p53 gene activation in SS. Our findings indicate a probable role for the DNA damage response genes in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. The novel mutations of the p53 gene implicate dysregulation of this tumor suppressor gene as a possible mechanism for lymphoma development in SS.

Biopsy↗

Life and death by p53.

p53 is a multifunctional protein which plays a role in modulating gene transcription, policing cell cycle checkpoints, activating apoptosis, controlling DNA replication and repair, maintaining genomic stability and responding to genetic insults. Mutation of the p53 gene confers the single greatest known selective advantage favoring cancer formation. Point mutations result not only in the loss of tumor suppressor functions, but also in the gain of tumor promotion functions. These dual circumstances may be unique to p53 and, in part, could explain the relatively powerful force behind this selection pressure. General mechanisms of gain of function by mutated p53 may include alteration in transcriptional modulation and newly acquired targets for transcriptional regulation and protein binding. Despite the direct significance of p53 mutations, loss of the remaining wild-type allele is usually required for the formation of tumors in the natural setting. Novel applications of the basic scientific knowledge of p53 could lead to an improvement in cancer treatment, hopefully in the not so distant future.

Animals↗

Persistence of chromosome aberrations following acute radiation: II, does it matter how translocations are scored?

Chromosome breaks and rearrangements resulting from ionizing radiation can be much more complicated than many investigators thought possible some years ago. The realization that not all translocations are reciprocal, that multiway exchanges occur, and that some double-strand breaks are not repaired prior to mitosis have all contributed to the difficulty of knowing how best to identify, record, evaluate, and report chromosome translocations. Here we describe the results of a series of experiments in which blood from two normal healthy subjects was obtained, irradiated with 137Cs gamma-rays in vitro at doses ranging from 0 (controls) to 4 Gy, and cultured. Cells from each dose group and donor were harvested at days 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, and 7 and evaluated for chromosome damage by simultaneously painting chromosomes 1, 2, and 4 in red and 3, 5, and 6 in green. The persistence of dicentrics, fragments, rings, insertions, and PAINT translocations are reported separately by us in this issue. In this article, we focus on translocations, characterizing the various types in detail and comparing and contrasting their persistence across all dose groups for both donors. The results indicate that the persistence of all translocation types was sufficient to be used for retrospective dosimetry, although nonreciprocal translocations exhibited diminished persistence compared to the other types. We also characterize the kinetics of the radiation dose responses of the two donors who exhibited significant differences in the induction as well as the persistence of translocations. Based on the evidence presented here, we hypothesize that these individuals differ in the recognition and repair of radiation-induced damage as well as in cell cycle checkpoint control. Despite these differences, the temporal frequency of translocation losses at both the high and low doses was similar for both subjects.

Adult↗

CHEK2 1100delC is not a risk factor for male breast cancer population.

Genetic risk factors for male breast cancer (MBC) are poorly understood. High penetrance genes such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 account for only a small proportion of the disease. A 1100delC mutation in CHEK2 (previously known as CHK2), a cell-cycle checkpoint kinase, has been implicated in predisposition of Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) and breast cancer in families suggestive of LFS. This 1100delC mutation has also been shown to confer a 2-fold increase of breast cancer risk in women and a 10-fold increase of risk in men. It was estimated to account for 1% of breast cancers in women and as much as 9% of breast cancers in men at the population level based on analysis of breast cancer families without BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. We wanted to evaluate the significance of CHEK2 1100delC in predisposition to MBC by assessing its frequency in a population-based material of 114 Finnish MBC patients. Two patients (1.8%) carried the 1100delC mutation. The mutation frequency among MBC cases was similar to that seen in population controls (26/1885, 1.4%). Our results indicate that CHEK2 1100delC variant does not substantially increase the risk of male breast cancer at the population level. We cannot exclude the fact that a small fraction of hereditary, family-positive male breast cancers could be attributable to CHEK2 mutations.

Adult↗

Exploring environmental causes of altered ras effects: fragmentation plus integration?

Mutations in ras genes are the most common abnormality of oncogenes in human cancer and a major example of activation by point mutation. Experimental and epidemiological studies support the notion that Ki-ras activation and expression may be chemically related. We discuss the potential role of several environmental compounds in the induction or promotion of ras mutations in humans, with a focus on exocrine pancreatic cancer, the human tumor with the highest prevalence at diagnosis of Ki-ras mutations. Organochlorine compounds, organic solvents, and coffee compounds may play an indirect role in causing Ki-ras mutations, rather than as direct inducers of the mutations. Although for some organochlorine compounds the induction of point mutations in ras oncogenes cannot be excluded, it seems more likely that the effects of these compounds are mediated through nongenomic or indirectly genotoxic mechanisms of action. Organic solvents also may act via enzymatic induction of ras mutagens or by providing a proliferation advantage to ras-mutated cell clones. In exocrine pancreatic cancer, caffeine, other coffee compounds, or other factors with which coffee drinking is associated could modulate Ki-ras activation by interfering with DNA repair, cell-cycle checkpoints, and apoptosis. Asbestos, cigarette smoking, and some dietary factors also may be involved in the initiation or the promotion of Ki-ras mutations in lung and colon cancers. Further development of the mechanistic scenarios proposed here could contribute to a meaningful integration of biological, clinical, and environmental knowledge on the causes of altered ras effects.

Coffee↗

The BRCT regions of tumor suppressor BRCA1 and of XRCC1 show DNA end binding activity with a multimerizing feature.

The BRCT regions are two repeating structures in BRCA1 at the carboxyl-terminus and are ubiquitous in some proteins involved in cell cycle checkpoint and in DNA repair. Here, using electron microscopy, we show direct evidence that the BRCT regions of BRCA1 bound double-strand breaks of DNA. The BRCT regions could multimerize thus forming large protein particles. Smeared patterns of DNA fragments were consistently shown in the gel retardation assay. A single BRCT was sufficient for DNA binding. The smeared patterns were also observed in BRCTs of TopBP1, suggesting that multimerization may be an important feature of BRCTs. The recombinant second BRCT of XRCC1 (X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1), whose folding was determined by X-ray crystallography, also showed similar DNA end binding images. It is possible that some BRCTs are fundamental structures that detect DNA damages.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Induced premature G2/M-phase transition in pachytene spermatocytes includes events unique to meiosis.

Little is known about the control of events ending the lengthy prophase of meiosis I and leading to the G2/M-phase transition in mammalian spermatocytes, primarily because the relevant late pachytene, diplotene, and MI cells are present in low numbers in the testis and it is not possible to isolate them in significant numbers. We have utilized short-term cultures of pachytene spermatocytes from the mouse to study events of the G2/M cell-cycle transition induced by the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (OA). Treatment of cultured pachytene spermatocytes with OA induced a rapid and premature onset of events leading to the M phase, visualized cytologically by nuclear envelope breakdown and chromosome condensation. After OA treatment, condensed chromosomes were seen as bivalents, not as univalents. Treatment with OA induced disassembly of synaptonemal complexes and resolution of crossovers as cytologically visible chiasmata. Chiasmata counts were similar in treated cells and control cells. Thus, surprisingly, even though the treated cells were in the pachytene substage of meiotic prophase, events of recombination were apparently completed to the point of chiasma formation in the majority of these cells. The sex chromosomes, forming the sex body of the pachytene spermatocyte, lagged behind the autosomal chromosomes in their condensation and progression toward the M phase. Treatment with OA induced an increase in histone H1 kinase activity, generally used as an indicator of metaphase-promoting factor (MPF) activity; furthermore, the OA-induced cell-cycle transition does not require new protein synthesis. These results suggest that OA treatment overrides a cell-cycle checkpoint control that normally keeps pachytene spermatocytes in a lengthy prophase and that this control may be exerted by regulation of protein phosphorylation status.

Animals↗

Absence of mutations in ATM, the gene responsible for ataxia telangiectasia in patients with cerebellar ataxia.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is an autosomal recessive multisystem disorder presenting in childhood with progressive cerebellar ataxia, oculocutaneous telangiectasia, immune deficiency, radiosensitivity, and cancer predisposition. The gene for AT, designated ATM (AT, mutated) encodes a protein with a carboxy-terminal phosphoinositide-3 kinase domain which is involved in cell cycle checkpoints and other responses to genotoxic stress. Most of the patients with the classical AT phenotype are homozygous or compound heterozygous for severe mutations causing truncation or destabilization of the ATM protein. Patients with a milder forms of disease, called AT variants, have been found to be either homozygous for milder mutations or compound heterozygotes for null alleles and mild mutations. In order to define the clinical phenotype of patients homozygous (or compound heterozygotes) for other, milder mutations, we decided to search for ATM mutations in patients with either sporadic or familial idiopathic ataxia. Thirty-four patients with idiopathic cerebellar ataxia, aged 3-77 years, were screened for mutations in the ATM coding region. There were 12 familial cases. None of the patients had abnormal immunoglobulin or alpha-fetoprotein levels, and none had mutations in the ATM coding region. In this heterogeneous group of patients with cerebellar ataxia we found no mutations in the ATM gene. We conclude that mutations in the ATM gene are probably not a common cause for cerebellar ataxia other than AT.

Adolescent↗

The human gene encoding FKBP-rapamycin associated protein (FRAP) maps to chromosomal band 1p36.2.

FKBP-rapamycin associated protein (FRAP) is a phosphatidylinositol kinase (PIK)-related kinase implicated in the inhibition of progression through G1 of the cell cycle. The PIK-related kinases are a growing family of proteins involved in cell-cycle checkpoints, DNA repair and recombination. We have mapped the human FRAP gene to chromosome 1p36.2, a region consistently deleted in neuroblastomas.

Base Sequence↗