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Lawrence A Donehower

Publications and source records attributed to Lawrence A Donehower.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The impact of altered p53 dosage on hematopoietic stem cell dynamics during aging.

A temporal decline in tissue stem cell functionality may be a key component of mammalian aging. The tumor suppressor p53 has recently been implicated as a potential regulator of aging. We examined age-associated hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) dynamics in mice with varying p53 activities. Reduced p53 activity in p53+/- mice was associated with higher numbers of proliferating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in old age compared with aged wild-type (p53+/+) mice. We also assessed HSC dynamics in a p53 mutant mouse model (p53+/m) with higher apparent p53 activity than wild-type mice. The p53 hypermorphic (p53+/m) mice display phenotypes of premature aging. Many aged p53+/m organs exhibit reduced cellularity and atrophy, suggesting defects in stem-cell regenerative capacity. HSC numbers from old p53+/m mice fail to increase with age, unlike those of their p53+/+ and p53+/- counterparts. Moreover, transplantation of 500 HSCs from old p53+/m mice into lethally irradiated recipients resulted in reduced engraftment compared with old wild-type p53+/+ and p53+/- HSCs. Thus, alteration of p53 activity affects stem-cell numbers, proliferation potential, and hematopoiesis in older organisms, supporting a model in which aging is caused in part by a decline in tissue stem cell regenerative function.

Aging↗
PubMed2006

DeltaNp63alpha overexpression induces downregulation of Sirt1 and an accelerated aging phenotype in the mouse.

p63 is highly expressed in the skin and appears to be an early marker of keratinocyte differentiation. To examine the role of p63 in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress deltaNp63alpha in the skin. These mice exhibited an accelerated aging phenotype in the skin characterized by striking wound healing defects, decreased skin thickness, decreased subcutaneous fat tissue, hair loss, and decreased cell proliferation. The accelerated skin aging was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in longevity of the mice. We found that aging in deltaNp63alpha transgenic mice and other mouse models correlated with levels of Sirt1, a mammalian SIR2 orthologue thought to extend the lifespan in lower species. Moreover, increased deltaNp63alpha expression induced cellular senescence that was rescued by Sirt1. Our data suggest that deltaNp63alpha levels may affect aging in mammals, at least in part, through regulation of Sirt1.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Oxidative and nitrative stress caused by subcutaneous implantation of a foreign body accelerates sarcoma development in Trp53+/- mice.

Chronic inflammation is a recognized risk factor for human cancer at various sites because of persistent oxidative and nitrative tissue damage. Trp53+/- mice show the predisposition to tumor development, such as sarcomas and lymphomas, compared with Trp53+/+ mice. We investigated the effects of chronic inflammation, especially oxidative and nitrative stress, induced by subcutaneous implantation of a plastic plate (10 x 5 x 1 mm) as a foreign body on tumorigenesis in Trp53+/- and Trp53+/+ mice. The plastic plates were implanted at the age of about 11 weeks. Thirty out of 38 Trp53+/- mice (79%) developed sarcomas around the implant (mean time of tumor appearance was 45.8 +/- 12.0 weeks of age), whereas only one of 10 Trp53+/+ mice with an implant (10%) developed a tumor, at 56 weeks. No sarcomas developed at a sham-operation site. Two of 10 Trp53+/- mice with no implant (20%) also developed three sarcomas spontaneously at 77, 81 and 84 weeks. Increased immunostaining for markers of oxidative and nitrative stress (8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine, 8-nitroguanine and 3-nitrotyrosine) and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in tumor cells and inflammatory cells were detected in implant-induced sarcomas compared with spontaneous sarcomas in Trp53+/- mice. Furthermore, p53 loss of heterozygosity was observed in 26 out of 29 implant-induced sarcomas (90%). These results indicate that implanted foreign bodies significantly enhanced sarcoma development in Trp53+/- mice, and this may be associated with increased oxidaive and nitrative stress. Loss of the remaining wild-type p53 allele and loss of p53 function appears to be, at least in part, underlying molecular mechanisms during the development of sarcomas at the implantation site in Trp53+/- mice. Such implant-induced sarcoma development in Trp53+/- mice could be useful for studying molecular mechanisms and developing new strategies for chemoprevention in human carcinogenesis induced by chronic inflammation and/or foreign bodies.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Oncogenic function for the Dlg1 mammalian homolog of the Drosophila discs-large tumor suppressor.

The fact that several different human virus oncoproteins, including adenovirus type 9 E4-ORF1, evolved to target the Dlg1 mammalian homolog of the membrane-associated Drosophila discs-large tumor suppressor has implicated this cellular factor in human cancer. Despite a general belief that such interactions function solely to inactivate this suspected human tumor suppressor protein, we demonstrate here that E4-ORF1 specifically requires endogenous Dlg1 to provoke oncogenic activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in cells. Based on our results, we propose a model wherein E4-ORF1 binding to Dlg1 triggers the resulting complex to translocate to the plasma membrane and, at this site, to promote Ras-mediated PI3K activation. These findings establish the first known function for Dlg1 in virus-mediated cellular transformation and also surprisingly expose a previously unrecognized oncogenic activity encoded by this suspected cellular tumor suppressor gene.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Augmented cancer resistance and DNA damage response phenotypes in PPM1D null mice.

The p53-induced serine/threonine phosphatase, protein phosphatase 1D magnesium-dependent, delta isoform (PPM1D) (or wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1)), exhibits oncogenic activity in vitro and in vivo. It behaves as an oncogene in rodent fibroblast transformation assays and is amplified and overexpressed in several human tumor types. It may contribute to oncogenesis through functional inactivation of p53. Here, we show that the oncogenic function of PPM1D is associated with its phosphatase activity. While overexpressed PPM1D may be oncogenic, PPM1D null mice are resistant to spontaneous tumors over their entire lifespan. This cancer resistance may be based in part on an augmented stress response following DNA damage. PPM1D null mice treated with ionizing radiation display increased p53 protein levels and increased phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase, p53, checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), and checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) in their tissues compared to their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Male PPM1D null mice show a modest reduction in longevity, reduced serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, and reduced body weight compared to WT mice. The PPM1D null mouse phenotypes indicate that PPM1D has a homeostatic role in abrogating the DNA damage response and may regulate aspects of male longevity.

Aging↗
PubMed2005

53BP1 oligomerization is independent of its methylation by PRMT1.

p53 binding protein 1 (53BP1) participates in the repair of DNA double stranded breaks (DSBs) where it is recruited to or near sites of DNA damage. Although little is known about the biochemical functions of 53BP1, the protein possesses several motifs that are likely important for its role as a DNA damage response element. This includes two BRCA1 C-terminal repeats, tandem Tudor domains, and a variety of phosphorylation sites. Here we show that a glycine-arginine rich (GAR) stretch of 53BP1 lying upstream of the Tudor motifs is methylated. We demonstrate that arginine residues within this region are important for asymmetric methylation by the PRMT1 methyltransferase. We further show that sequences upstream of the Tudor domains that do not include the GAR stretch are sufficient for 53BP1 oligomerization in vivo. Thus, although Tudor domains bind methylated proteins, 53BP1 homo-oligomerization occurs independently of Tudor function. Lastly, we find that deficiencies in 53BP1 generate a "hyper-rec" phenotype. Collectively, these data provide new insight into 53BP1, an important component in maintaining genomic stability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Dual roles for the phosphatase PPM1D in regulating progesterone receptor function.

Although protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1 delta (PPM1D) was initially characterized as a p53-regulated phosphatase responsible for inactivation of p38 MAPK and consequent inactivation of p53, its overexpression and amplification in human breast cancers led us to assess its role in steroid hormone action. We found that PPM1D stimulated the activity of several nuclear receptors including the progesterone receptor (PR) and estrogen receptor. Although p38 MAPK inhibited PR activity, PPM1D stimulation of PR activity was greater than that achieved by a chemical inhibitor of p38 MAPK, SB202190. This suggests an additional novel function for PPM1D. Consistent with this, the transcriptional activity of endogenous PR in MCF-7 breast cancer cells was preferentially inhibited by small interfering RNA for PPM1D; SB202190 failed to reverse the inhibition. Although PPM1D phosphatase activity was required for stimulation of transcriptional activity, the activity of a PR phosphorylation site null mutant was enhanced by PPM1D, indicating that PR is not the direct target. Additional studies revealed that PPM1D enhanced the intrinsic activity of p160 coactivators such as steroid receptor coactivator-1 and promoted the interaction between PR and steroid receptor coactivator-1 in a mammalian two-hybrid assay. Neither activity was induced by SB202190. Although PPM1D stimulated PR activity in part through inhibition of p38 MAPK, its primary action is novel and independent of p38 MAPK. Thus, we speculate that PPM1D promotes breast tumor growth both by inhibiting p53 activity and by enhancing steroid hormone receptor action.

Cell Line, Tumor↗
PubMed2005

Organ-specific susceptibility of p53 knockout mice to N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)nitrosamine carcinogenesis.

To elucidate which is the major determinant of susceptibility of p53 deficient mice, the carcinogen or the target organ, N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)nitrosamine was administered to induce tumors in multi-organs. In a 15-week experiment, the incidences of both lung and hepatic vascular tumors were found to be significantly higher in p53 nullizygous (-/-) than in heterozygous (+/-) and wild-type (+/+) mice, indicating universal susceptibility of p53 (-/-) mice. In a 40-week experiment, p53 (+/-) mice showed increased susceptibility only with regard to vascular tumors, coinciding with significantly more frequent (60%) p53 gene mutations, in comparison with lung tumors with their low mutation rate (10.8%) (P<0.005). These results indicate that the target organ may be a more important factor than the carcinogen in determining susceptibility of p53 (+/-) mice.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Reversal of the ATM/ATR-mediated DNA damage response by the oncogenic phosphatase PPM1D.

The eukaryotic cell has evolved a sophisticated set of cell signaling pathways that respond to DNA damage and efficiently repair that damage, protecting the cell from deleterious mutations, genomic instability, and transformation into a cancerous state. The ATM and ATR serine/threonine kinases are key sensors and transducers of DNA damage signals through phosphorylation of an array of signaling molecules that mediate all aspects of the DNA damage response, including enforcement of cell cycle checkpoints and direct repair of damaged DNA. We have shown that a type 2C serine/threonine phosphatase, PPM1D (or Wip1), can reverse the phosphorylation status of ATM/ATR-phosphorylated proteins p53 and Chk1. This dephosphorylation of p53 and Chk1 by PPM1D may result in reduced functional activities and is accompanied by suppression of DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoints and some aspects of DNA repair. Because PPM1D is transcriptionally activated by p53 in response to DNA damage, PPM1D may serve as a critical component of a p53 negative feedback regulatory loop since it now appears that PPM1D can inhibit p53 activity by at least four different molecular mechanisms. This may explain why PPM1D is amplified and overexpressed in a subset of human breast cancers that invariably retain wild type p53 alleles. We hypothesize that PPM1D is a homeostatic regulator of the DNA damage response that returns the cell to a more normal unstressed state following repair of the damage.

Alleles↗
PubMed2005

Probing p53 biological functions through the use of genetically engineered mouse models.

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is rendered dysfunctional in the majority of human cancers. To model the effects of p53 dysfunction in an experimentally manipulable organismal context, genetically engineered inbred mice have been the models of choice. Transgenic and knock-out technologies have been utilized to generate an array of different p53 germ line alterations. As expected, many (though not all) of the mutant p53 mouse models are susceptible to enhanced spontaneous and carcinogen-induced tumors of a variety of types. A number of different variables affect the incidence and spectrum of tumors in p53 mutant mice. These include strain background, the nature of the p53 mutation, the presence of wild-type p53 (in addition to mutant p53), exposure to physical and chemical mutagens, or introduction of other cancer-associated genes into the mutant p53 background. In addition to their role in furthering our understanding of the mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression, these models have led to unexpected insights into p53 function in embryogenesis and aging. With the development of ever more sophisticated methods for manipulating the mouse genome, new p53 models are on the horizon, which should deliver advances that will provide not only important mechanistic insights but also discoveries of great clinical relevance.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

PPM1D dephosphorylates Chk1 and p53 and abrogates cell cycle checkpoints.

The ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) and ATR (ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related) kinases respond to DNA damage by phosphorylating cellular target proteins that activate DNA repair pathways and cell cycle checkpoints in order to maintain genomic integrity. Here we show that the oncogenic p53-induced serine/threonine phosphatase, PPM1D (or Wip1), dephosphorylates two ATM/ATR targets, Chk1 and p53. PPM1D binds Chk1 and dephosphorylates the ATR-targeted phospho-Ser 345, leading to decreased Chk1 kinase activity. PPM1D also dephosphorylates p53 at phospho-Ser 15. PPM1D dephosphorylations are correlated with reduced cellular intra-S and G2/M checkpoint activity in response to DNA damage induced by ultraviolet and ionizing radiation. Thus, a primary function of PPM1D may be to reverse the p53 and Chk1-induced DNA damage and cell cycle checkpoint responses and return the cell to a homeostatic state following completion of DNA repair. These homeostatic functions may be partially responsible for the oncogenic effects of PPM1D when it is amplified and overexpressed in human tumors.

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins↗
PubMed2005

Lack of elevated liver carcinogenicity of aminophenylnorharman in p53-deficient mice.

The hepatocarcinogenic potential of 9-(4'-aminophenyl)-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (aminophenylnorharman, APNH) was investigated using male and female p53 deficient mice. Incidence of oval cell hyperplasia was 2/14 (14.3%), 14/23 (60.9%), and 2/10 (20%) in p53 nullizygous (-/-), heterozygous (+/-), and wild type (+/+) mice, respectively, exposed to 30 ppm APNH for 15 weeks, while hepatocellular anisonucleosis was observed only in APNH-treated p53 (-/-) mice. At 40 weeks, hepatocellular carcinomas had developed in 16/46 (34.8%) and 10/27 (37.0%) of female p53 (+/-) and (+/+) mice in contrast to only 1/45 (2.2%) and 2/12 (16.7%) in their male counterparts, respectively, without any detectable p53 gene mutations. Dose-dependent APNH-DNA adduct formation and transcriptional induction of CYP 1A1, but not CYP 1A2, was revealed with 7-day APNH treatment using female C57BL/6J mice. These results suggested hepatocarcinogenicity of APNH in mice could be linked to the liver microenvironment including hormonal milieu but independent of p53 expression and p53 gene mutations.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Homeostatic regulation of base excision repair by a p53-induced phosphatase: linking stress response pathways with DNA repair proteins.

The p53 protein plays a central role in the integration of cellular stress responses. If the cell incurs DNA damage, p53-induced cell cycle arrest is accompanied by p53-facilitated DNA repair. In particular, p53 has been demonstrated to promote both nucleotide excision repair (NER) and base excision repair (BER). Once these repair processes are completed, p53 activity declines and the cell can reenter the cell cycle. A critical mediator of this p53 negative regulatory feedback loop is Mdm2, a p53 transcriptional target whose protein mediates p53 proteolytic degradation. Another such p53 transcriptional target that may function in a p53 negative regulation is the PPM1D phosphatase. PPM1D may inhibit p53 activity through inactivating dephosphorylation of the p38 MAP kinase. We have recently shown that PPM1D suppresses BER in part through dephosphorylation of a key BER effector, the nuclear isoform of uracil DNA glycosylase, or UNG2. This finding further links p53 signaling to DNA repair pathways and illustrates a mechanism by which activated DNA repair systems are returned to a deactivated, homeostatic state.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Suppression of thymic lymphomas and increased nonthymic lymphomagenesis in Trp53-deficient mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase gene.

Trp53-deficient mice spontaneously develop lymphomas, mainly of thymic origin, although the molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. As several interaction effects between p53 and iNOS have been reported, we hypothesized that iNOS activity in the thymus is causally linked to lymphomagenesis in Trp53-deficient mice. We therefore created mouse strains with different combinations of the Trp53 and iNOS genes. Western blot and histologic analyses showed that the iNOS protein was constitutively expressed in the thymus independently of Trp53 status and its expression was enhanced in Trp53+/- and Trp53-/- mice compared to Trp53+/+ mice. Homozygous disruption of iNOS decreased the incidence of thymic lymphomas by almost 40% (p=0.087) and 90% (p<0.05) in Trp53-/- and Trp53+/- mice, respectively, compared to the respective iNOS wild-type mice but significantly (p<0.05) increased the development of nonthymic lymphomas in Trp53-/- and Trp53+/- mice. Although iNOS gene disruption did not affect the phenotype of thymic lymphomas, absence of the iNOS gene shifted the spectrum of nonthymic lymphoma from the B-cell to the T-cell lineage. RT-PCR analysis revealed enhanced expression of IL-10, which could have a promoting effect on lymphomagenesis, even without any stimulation, in the spleen of aging mice with the gene combinations Trp53-/-iNOS-/- and Trp53+/-iNOS-/- but not Trp53-/-iNOS+/+ or Trp53+/-iNOS+/+. These results suggest that iNOS could increase the development of thymic lymphomas in Trp53-deficient mice. While iNOS may have protective effects against nonthymic lymphomagenesis, the regulation of cytokine production by iNOS may be involved in the underlying mechanism of antilymphomagenesis effects in the peripheral lymphoid organ.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The p53-induced oncogenic phosphatase PPM1D interacts with uracil DNA glycosylase and suppresses base excision repair.

The wild-type p53-induced phosphatase PPM1D (or Wip1) is a serine/threonine phosphatase that is transcriptionally upregulated by p53 following ultraviolet and ionizing radiation. PPM1D is an oncogene in transformation assays and is amplified or overexpressed in several human tumor types. Here, we demonstrate that PPM1D interacts with the nuclear isoform of uracil DNA glycosylase, UNG2, and suppresses base excision repair (BER). Point mutations that inactivate PPM1D phosphatase activity abrogate BER suppression, indicating that dephosphorylation by PPM1D is important for BER inhibition. We have identified UNG2 phosphorylation sites at threonines 6 and 126 that exhibit enhanced phosphorylation following UV irradiation. The UV-induced phosphorylated forms of UNG2 are more active than nonphosphorylated forms in mediating uracil-associated DNA cleavage. PPM1D dephosphorylation of UNG2 at phosphothreonine 6 is associated with reduced UNG2 activity. Thus, PPM1D may inhibit BER by dephosphorylating UNG2 to facilitate its inactivation after completion of DNA repair.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Loss of heterozygosity occurs via mitotic recombination in Trp53+/- mice and associates with mammary tumor susceptibility of the BALB/c strain.

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) occurs commonly in cancers causing disruption of tumor suppressor genes and promoting tumor progression. BALB/c-Trp53(+/-) mice are a model of Li-Fraumeni syndrome, exhibiting a high frequency of mammary tumors and other tumor types seen in patients. However, the frequency of mammary tumors and LOH differs among strains of Trp53(+/-) mice, with mammary tumors occurring only on a BALB/c genetic background and showing a high frequency of LOH, whereas Trp53(+/-) mice on a 129/Sv or (C57BL/6 x 129/Sv) mixed background have a very low frequency of mammary tumors and show LOH for Trp53 in only approximately 50% of tumors. We have performed studies on tumors from Trp53(+/-) mice of several genetic backgrounds to examine the mechanism of LOH in BALB/c-Trp53(+/-) mammary tumors. By Southern blotting, 96% (24 of 25) of BALB/c-Trp53(+/-) mammary tumors displayed LOH for Trp53. Karyotype analysis indicated that cells lacking one copy of chromosome 11 were present in all five mammary tumors analyzed but were not always the dominant population. Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of these five tumors indicated either loss or retention of the entire chromosome 11. Thus chromosome loss or deletions within chromosome 11 do not account for the LOH observed by Southern blotting. Simple sequence length polymorphism analysis of (C57BL/6 x BALB/c) F1-Trp53(+/-) mammary tumors showed that LOH occurred over multiple loci and that a combination of maternal and paternal alleles were retained, indicating that mitotic recombination is the most likely mechanism of LOH. Nonmammary tumors of BALB/c mice also showed a high frequency of LOH (22 of 26, 85%) indicating it was not a mammary tumor specific phenomenon but rather a feature of the BALB/c strain. In (C57BL/6 x BALB/c) F1-Trp53(+/-) mice LOH was observed in 93% (13 of 14) of tumors, indicating that the high frequency of LOH was a dominant genetic trait. Thus the high frequency of LOH for Trp53 in BALB/c-Trp53(+/-) mammary tumors occurs via mitotic recombination and is a dominant genetic trait that associates with the occurrence of mammary tumors in (C57BL/6 x BALB/c) F1-Trp53(+/-) mice. These results further implicate double-strand DNA break repair machinery as important contributors to mammary tumorigenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Diet-gene interactions in p53-deficient mice: insulin-like growth factor-1 as a mechanistic target.

Progress in cancer prevention research is being facilitated by the use of animal models displaying specific genetic susceptibilities for cancer, such as mice deficient in one (+/-) or both (-/-) alleles of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Our lab, which focuses on nutrition (particularly energy balance/obesity) and molecular carcinogenesis, has shown in p53-/- mice that calorie restriction (CR) increases the latency of spontaneous tumor development (mostly lymphomas) approximately 75%, decreases serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and leptin levels, and induces apoptosis in immature (lymphoma-susceptible) thymocytes. In heterozygous p53-deficient (p53+/-) mice, CR and a one day/wk fast each significantly delay spontaneous tumor development (a mix of lymphomas, sarcomas, and epithelial tumors) and decreases serum IGF-1 and leptin levels, even when begun late in life. We are presently comparing and combining CR and exercise (treadmill and running wheel) to further elucidate the relationships between energy balance, p53, and tumorigenesis in these models. Furthermore, we have capitalized on the susceptibility of p53+/- mice to chronic, low-dose aromatic amine-induced bladder carcinogenesis to develop a model for evaluating bladder cancer prevention approaches. Using this model, we have established that IGF-1 mediates many of the anti-cancer effects of CR. We are currently conducting oligonucleotide microarray studies to further characterize diet-gene interactions underlying the anti-cancer effects of CR and to determine which of the CR-responsive genes are IGF-1 dependent.

Animals↗