Stage-specific sensitivity to p53 restoration during lung cancer progression

Tumorigenesis is a multistep process that results from the sequential accumulation of mutations in key oncogene and tumour suppressor pathways. Personalized cancer therapy that is based on targeting these underlying genetic abnormalities presupposes that sustained inactivation of tumour suppressors and activation of oncogenes is essential in advanced cancers. Mutations in the p53 tumour-suppressor pathway are common in human cancer and significant efforts towards pharmaceutical reactivation of defective p53 pathways are underway. Here we show that restoration of p53 in established murine lung tumours leads to significant but incomplete tumour cell loss specifically in malignant adenocarcinomas, but not in adenomas. We define amplification of MAPK signalling as a critical determinant of malignant progression and also a stimulator of Arf tumour-suppressor expression. The response to p53 restoration in this context is critically dependent on the expression of Arf. We propose that p53 not only limits malignant progression by suppressing the acquisition of alterations that lead to tumour progression, but also, in the context of p53 restoration, responds to increased oncogenic signalling to mediate tumour regression. Our observations also underscore that the p53 pathway is not engaged by low levels of oncogene activity that are sufficient for early stages of lung tumour development. These data suggest that restoration of pathways important in tumour progression, as opposed to initiation, may lead to incomplete tumour regression due to the stage-heterogeneity of tumour cell populations.     

p53振子的形成机制及microRNA对p53目标基因表达的精细调控

肿瘤抑制因子p53调控着大量的基因,在肿瘤抑制中起着关键作用.实验结果表明,当DNA受损后,p53的表达呈现周期性振荡.已有的一些p53振子的理论模型,其振子产生机制通常依赖于p53和Mdm2之间相互作用的时滞因素.考虑基因表达的转录和翻译过程,运用动力学方程建模的方法,给出一种新模型,并利用Hopf分叉理论,给出p53振子产生的条件.数值模拟结果表明,与已有的时滞模型相比,该模型对参数具有更好的鲁棒性,较好地解释了p53振子的产生机制.最近的许多实验表明,p53调控着miR-34家族中大量microRNA的表达,这些microRNA又在后转录水平上对p53的下游目标基因起着调控作用.在这一模型基础上,研究microRNA加入p53调控网络后所起的调控作用,数值模拟结果初步表明,microRNA对p53下游目标基因表达起到了精细调控作用.     

早期肺癌病人血液中P53的克隆及其pEGFP-N1-p53的构建

首先用RT-PCR方法从早期肺癌病人的外周血中克隆出人抗癌基因p53,经测序确认为野生型后,通过酶切、连接、转化构建出扩增质粒pMD18-T-p53,然后构建出含增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)基因的真核表达质粒pEGFP-N1-p53.pEGFP-N1-P53经限制性内切酶Hind Ⅲ和BamH Ⅰ酶切,酶切产物电泳结...     

Deubiquitination of p53 by HAUSP is an important pathway for p53 stabilization

The p53 tumour suppressor is a short-lived protein that is maintained at low levels in normal cells by Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination and subsequent proteolysis. Stabilization of p53 is crucial for its tumour suppressor function. However, the precise mechanism by which ubiquitinated p53 levels are regulated in vivo is not completely understood. By mass spectrometry of affinity-purified p53-associated factors, we have identified herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease (HAUSP) as a novel p53-interacting protein. HAUSP strongly stabilizes p53 even in the presence of excess Mdm2, and also induces p53-dependent cell growth repression and apoptosis. Significantly, HAUSP has an intrinsic enzymatic activity that specifically deubiquitinates p53 both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, expression of a catalytically inactive point mutant of HAUSP in cells increases the levels of p53 ubiquitination and destabilizes p53. These findings reveal an important mechanism by which p53 can be stabilized by direct deubiquitination and also imply that HAUSP might function as a tumour suppressor in vivo through the stabilization of p53.     

肿瘤抑制基因P53综述

本文从Ｐ５３研究的历史，Ｐ５３的基本分子生物学，Ｐ５３与细胞周期调控，Ｐ５３与肿瘤发生以臁Ｐ５３参与转泉调控来实现其生物学功能等诸方面概述Ｐ５３研究的进展。     

胃癌中p53基因失活及其蛋白产物的免疫组化分析

应用ＰＣＲ－ＳＳＣＰ银染，Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂我及免疫组化等方法同步研究２５例胃癌标本的ｐ５３基因突变，杂合性丢失及蛋白持表达，在２２例胃癌中同时获得有关ｐ５３基因突变和杂合性丢失的检测结果，被检出ｐ５３基因突变的５例胃癌中，２例伴有杂合性丢失，３例仅有ｐ５３基因突变。     

辛伐他汀对压力负荷下大鼠心肌骨桥蛋白表达的影响

研究辛伐他汀对压力负荷下大鼠心肌骨桥蛋白(OPN)的影响,将Sprague Dawley大鼠随机分为3组:假手术组(n=10)、模型组(n=10)和辛伐他汀组(n=10).腹主动脉缩窄术建立大鼠压力超负荷模型,8周后测定左室重量指数(LVWR)、B超检测左室游离壁厚度及室间隔厚度Westernblot检测心肌OPN表达水平.结果是①模型组和辛伐他汀组LVWR高于假手术组,辛伐他汀组LVWR低于模型组(P<0.01).②模型组和辛伐他汀组心肌OPN表达水平高于假手术组(P<0.01),辛伐他汀组低于模型组 (P<0.01).辛伐他汀能够减轻压力负荷引起的大鼠的心肌肥厚,其过程伴随着OPN水平的降低,提示辛伐他汀改善心脏功能的过程与OPN有关.     

携带p53基因重组腺病毒载体的构建

将pCMVp53重组转移载体经BamHI和NheI酶切,得到p53基因cDNA,然后将cDNA片段克隆到转移载体pCMV5GFP,使其受CMV5启动子的调控,获得pCMV5p53重组转移载体.用该线状重组转移载体与腺病毒右臂DNA经磷酸钙共转染293细胞获得重组腺病毒,经酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)测定p53蛋白含量,证明外源p53基因在含重组腺病毒的293细胞中得到表达.     

Association of p53 codon 72 polymorphism with liver metastases of colorectal cancers positive for p53 overexpression

Objective： To evaluate the association between p53 codon 72 polymorphism （R72P） and the risk ofcolorectal liver metastases. Methods： The p53 R72P genotype was identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP） method in 78 consecutive colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases and 214 age- and sex-matched cases with nonmetastatic colorectal cancer. Results： The R allele of the p53 R72P polymorphism was more frequently found in metastatic cases than in nonmetastatic cases （P=0.075）. Carriers of the 72R allele had a 2.25-fold （95% CI （confidence interval）=1.05-4.83） increased risk of liver metastases. On the stratification analysis, 72R-carrying genotype conferred a 3.46-fold （95% CI=1.02-11.72） and a 1.05-fold （95% CI=0.36-3.08） increased risk of liver metastases for p53 overexpression-positive and negative colorectal cancers, respectively. Conclusion： These results demonstrate for the first time that the 72R allele of the p53 polymorphism has an increased risk for liver metastases in colorectal cancers positive for p53 overexpression.     

携带p53和p21基因腺病毒转移载体的构建

构建携带p53和p21基因的重组腺病毒转移载体以研究p53和p21联合基因治疗效果.将p53cDNA克隆到转移载体pCMV5GFP替代gfp,得到pCMVp53,使其受到CMV启动子的调控;同时将p21基因克隆到pCMVp53,得到重组腺病毒转移载体pCMVp53/p21.得到携带p53和p21基因的重组腺病毒转移载体.     

DRP-1-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation during EGL-1-induced cell death in C. elegans

Genetic analyses in Caenorhabditis elegans have been instrumental in the elucidation of the central cell-death machinery, which is conserved from C. elegans to mammals. One possible difference that has emerged is the role of mitochondria. By releasing cytochrome c, mitochondria are involved in the activation of caspases in mammals. However, there has previously been no evidence that mitochondria are involved in caspase activation in C. elegans. Here we show that mitochondria fragment in cells that normally undergo programmed cell death during C. elegans development. Mitochondrial fragmentation is induced by the BH3-only protein EGL-1 and can be blocked by mutations in the bcl-2-like gene ced-9, indicating that members of the Bcl-2 family might function in the regulation of mitochondrial fragmentation in apoptotic cells. Mitochondrial fragmentation is independent of CED-4/Apaf-1 and CED-3/caspase, indicating that it occurs before or simultaneously with their activation. Furthermore, DRP-1/dynamin-related protein, a key component of the mitochondrial fission machinery, is required and sufficient to induce mitochondrial fragmentation and programmed cell death during C. elegans development. These results assign an important role to mitochondria in the cell-death pathway in C. elegans.     

The prolyl isomerase Pin1 is a regulator of p53 in genotoxic response

p53 is activated in response to various genotoxic stresses resulting in cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. It is well documented that DNA damage leads to phosphorylation and activation of p53 (refs 1-3), yet how p53 is activated is still not fully understood. Here we report that DNA damage specifically induces p53 phosphorylation on Ser/Thr-Pro motifs, which facilitates its interaction with Pin1, a member of peptidyl-prolyl isomerase. Furthermore, the interaction of Pin1 with p53 is dependent on the phosphorylation that is induced by DNA damage. Consequently, Pin1 stimulates the DNA-binding activity and transactivation function of p53. The Pin1-mediated p53 activation requires the WW domain, a phosphorylated Ser/Thr-Pro motif interaction module, and the isomerase activity of Pin1. Moreover, Pin1-deficient cells are defective in p53 activation and timely accumulation of p53 protein, and exhibit an impaired checkpoint control in response to DNA damage. Together, these data suggest a mechanism for p53 regulation in cellular response to genotoxic stress.     

Inactivation of the p53 pathway in retinoblastoma

Most human tumours have genetic mutations in their Rb and p53 pathways, but retinoblastoma is thought to be an exception. Studies suggest that retinoblastomas, which initiate with mutations in the gene retinoblastoma 1 (RB1), bypass the p53 pathway because they arise from intrinsically death-resistant cells during retinal development. In contrast to this prevailing theory, here we show that the tumour surveillance pathway mediated by Arf, MDM2, MDMX and p53 is activated after loss of RB1 during retinogenesis. RB1-deficient retinoblasts undergo p53-mediated apoptosis and exit the cell cycle. Subsequently, amplification of the MDMX gene and increased expression of MDMX protein are strongly selected for during tumour progression as a mechanism to suppress the p53 response in RB1-deficient retinal cells. Our data provide evidence that the p53 pathway is inactivated in retinoblastoma and that this cancer does not originate from intrinsically death-resistant cells as previously thought. In addition, they support the idea that MDMX is a specific chemotherapeutic target for treating retinoblastoma.