Various p53 mutant proteins differently regulate the Ras circuit to induce a cancer-related gene signature

J Cell Sci. 2012 Jul 1;125(Pt 13):3144-52. doi: 10.1242/jcs.099663. Epub 2012 Mar 16.

Abstract

Concomitant expression of mutant p53 and oncogenic Ras, leading to cellular transformation, is well documented. However, the mechanisms by which the various mutant p53 categories cooperate with Ras remain largely obscure. From this study we suggest that different mutant p53 categories cooperate with H-Ras in different ways to induce a unique expression pattern of a cancer-related gene signature (CGS). The DNA-contact p53 mutants (p53(R248Q) and p53(R273H)) exhibited the highest level of CGS expression by cooperating with NFκB. Furthermore, the Zn(+2) region conformational p53 mutants (p53(R175H) and p53(H179R)) induced the CGS by elevating H-Ras activity. This elevation in H-Ras activity stemmed from a perturbed function of the p53 transcription target gene, BTG2. By contrast, the L3 loop region conformational mutant (p53(G245S)) did not affect CGS expression. Our findings were further corroborated in human tumor-derived cell lines expressing Ras and the aforementioned mutated p53 proteins. These data might assist in future tailor-made therapy targeting the mutant p53-Ras axis in cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism
  • Chemokine CXCL1 / genetics
  • Chemokine CXCL1 / metabolism
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Genes, ras*
  • Humans
  • Immediate-Early Proteins / genetics
  • Immediate-Early Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Transcriptome*
  • Transfection
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Zinc / metabolism

Substances

  • CXCL1 protein, human
  • Chemokine CXCL1
  • Immediate-Early Proteins
  • NF-kappa B
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • BTG2 protein, human
  • Zinc