Mdm2 and mdmX prevent ASPP1 and ASPP2 from stimulating p53 without targeting p53 for degradation

The p53 inhibitor Mdm4 cooperates with multiple genetic lesions in tumourigenesis

The p53 inhibitor Mdm4 is present at high levels in multiple human cancers. Overexpression of Mdm4 in mice drives the spontaneous development of mostly lymphomas and sarcomas. In this study, we explored the ability of Mdm4 to cooperate with lesions in tumour development. The Mdm4 transgene contributed to mammary tumour development in a BALB/cJ background. High levels of Mdm4 enhanced tumour development in a mutant p53R172H heterozygous background, and reduced the need to lose the wild-type p53 allele, as compared with mice heterozygous only for the p53R172H mutation. Additionally, high levels of Mdm4 cooperated with an oncogenic K-ras mutation to drive lung tumourigenesis in vivo. Finally, we examined p53-independent functions of Mdm4 by studying the contribution of Mdm4 to tumour development in the absence of p53. Whereas the overall survival times of p53-null mice with and without the Mdm4 transgene were similar, male mice with both alterations showed significantly shorter survival than p53-null male mice, and showed differences in tumour spectrum, demonstrating a p53-independent function of Mdm4 in tumourigenesis. Furthermore, p53-null mice with the highest level of Mdm4 tended to have multiple tumours. Thus, a detailed analysis of Mdm4 transgenic mice in various genetic backgrounds shows synergy in tumour development in vivo. Mdm4 may thus serve as a therapeutic target in cancers. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Protein–protein interactions of ASPP2: an emerging therapeutic target

ASPP2 induces apoptosis and is downregulated in many types of cancer, making it a promising target for anti-cancer drugs.

Nucleostemin and ASPP2 expression is correlated with pituitary adenoma proliferation

Nucleostemin is a GTP-conjugated protein located in the nucleoli of stem cells and certain cancer cells, and maintains cellular self-renewal. The present study aimed to evaluate nucleostemin as a potential target for pituitary adenoma gene therapy by investigating nucleostemin and apoptosis-stimulating of p53 protein 2 (ASPP2) expression and their effect on pituitary adenoma cell proliferation. A total of 71 samples of pituitary adenomas were collected. Semi-quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of nucleostemin and ASPP2 mRNA in the samples. Immunochemistry techniques were used to examine Ki-67 expression in the paraffin section of the samples. Coherent clinical data were also collected. Nucleostemin and ASPP2 were detectable in all the pituitary adenoma samples. Significant differences were observed in nucleostemin and ASPP2 expression between invasive pituitary adenoma and non-invasive pituitary adenomas (P<0.01) and the Ki-67 labeling index (LI; P>0.05). The difference in the Ki-67 LI between the recurrence and non-recurrence groups was significant (P<0.05). There was positive correlation between nucleostemin gene expression and the Ki-67 LI levels (P<0.05). The correlation between ASPP2 expression and the Ki-67 LI was negative (P<0.05). Negative correlation was demonstrated between nucleostemin and ASPP2 expression (P<0.01). The nucleostemin and ASPP2 genes were expressed in the human pituitary adenoma tissues. The differences in the expression of nucleostemin, ASPP2 and Ki-67 in the various pathological types of pituitary adenomas represented differences in molecular biological character and were associated with invasion. In the pituitary adenomas, the expression of nucleostemin and ASPP2 was correlated with tumor proliferation. Nucleostemin, ASPP2 and Ki-67 may serve as valid clinical detection markers for the invasion of pituitary adenomas.

Downregulation of ASPP1 in gestational trophoblastic disease: correlation with hypermethylation, apoptotic activity and clinical outcome

Gestational trophoblastic disease encompasses a spectrum of trophoblastic lesions including true neoplasms such as choriocarcinomas and the potentially malignant hydatidiform moles, which may develop persistent disease requiring chemotherapy. ASPP1, a member of apoptosis-stimulating proteins of p53 (ASPPs), is a proapoptotic protein that can stimulate apoptosis through its interaction with p53. We evaluated the promoter methylation and expression profiles of ASPP1 in different trophoblastic tissues and its in vitro functional effect on two choriocarcinoma cell lines, namely JEG-3 and JAR. Significant downregulation of ASPP1 mRNA and protein levels was demonstrated in hydatidiform moles and choriocarcinomas, when compared with normal placentas by quantitative-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The ASPP1 mRNA level was significantly correlated with its hypermethylation status, evaluated with methylation-specific PCR, in placenta and gestational trophoblastic disease samples (P=0.024). Moreover, lower ASPP1 immunoreactivity was shown in hydatidiform moles that progressed to persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasms than in those that regressed (P=0.045). A significant correlation was also found between expression of ASPP1 and proliferative indices (assessed by Ki67 and MCM7), apoptotic activity (M30 CytoDeath antibody), p53 and caspase-8 immunoreactivities. An in vitro study showed that ectopic expression of ASPP1 could trigger apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways as indicated by an increase in cleaved caspase-9 and Fas ligand protein expression. The latter suggests a hitherto unreported novel link between ASPP1 and the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Our findings suggest that downregulation of ASPP1 by hypermethylation may be involved in the pathogenesis and progress of gestational trophoblastic disease, probably through its effect on apoptosis.

Loss of heterozygosity of the p53 gene and deregulated expression of its mRNA and protein in human brain tumors

Tumor-specific alterations at the p53 gene locus were analyzed in 40 human brain tumor samples. Gliomas were more prevalent in young males and meningiomas in old females. Structural changes at the intron 1 region of the p53 gene were analyzed in these tumors by Southern blotting. Among the 40 tumors, 33 were informative and 21 of these (63.6%) informative cases showed loss of heterozygosity (LOH). This is the first report showing LOH at the intron 1 region of p53 gene in human brain tumors. The level of p53 mRNA, p53 protein and Ser 392 phosphorylated p53 protein were also analyzed in all tumor samples. Normal sized p53 mRNA and protein were present in all the tumor samples; however, their levels were 1.5- to 4-fold higher compared to the control suggesting deregulated p53 pathway in these tumors. No correlation was found between LOH status and the levels of p53 mRNA and protein. In all high-grade glioblastomas majority of the p53 protein existed as Ser 392 phosphorylated form as compared to low-grade gliomas. In addition, the percentage of Ser 392 phosphorylated form of p53 protein was lower in meningiomas and other brain tumor types irrespective of tumor grade. These results suggest involvement of Ser 392 phosphorylated form of p53 protein during the later stages of glioma development. These results also indicate that deregulation of p53 gene could occur at various steps in p53 pathway and suggest an overall deregulation of p53 gene in most brain tumor types.

Functional analysis of p53 tumor suppressor in yeast

The p53 tumor suppressor protein is a transcription factor that mediates the cell's response to various kinds of stress by preventing cell division and/or inducing apoptosis. p53 gene mutations have been detected in nearly 50% of human cancers. These gene aberrations are mostly missense point mutations located predominantly in the central DNA-binding domain. In addition to the classical inactivating mutations, there are also dominant-negative, gain-of-function, temperature-sensitive, and cold-sensitive, discriminating, superactive p53 mutations, and some mutations that do not inactivate p53 activity. Several approaches have been developed for detection and analyses of p53 mutations: first, immunochemical methods have been developed to detect p53 protein levels; second, molecular analyses targeting changes in DNA structure are utilized; and third, functional assays are used to explore the biological properties of the p53 protein. Functional analysis of separated alleles in yeast targets the transactivation capability of the p53 protein expressed in yeast cells. This method uses p53 mRNA isolated from cells and tissues to produce a p53 product by RT-PCR. This method has undergone continuous improvement and now serves as a powerful tool for distinguishing various functional types of p53 mutations. Understanding the exact impact of p53 mutation on its function is an important prerequisite for establishment of efficient anti-cancer therapies.