Biomedical subjects

Susan M Mendrysa

Publications and source records attributed to Susan M Mendrysa.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

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.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Tumor suppression by p53 without accelerated aging: just enough of a good thing?

The prevalence of mutations that inactivate the p53 tumor suppressor gene in human cancers reveals the importance of p53 in preventing cancer. Recent progress has generated increased enthusiasm for re-activating p53 in tumors with mutant p53 proteins as well as for increasing p53 function in tumors expressing wild-type p53 that is inhibited in trans. However, excessive p53 activity can be detrimental to the host, potentially limiting the utility of p53 activation as a therapeutic strategy. For example, uncontrolled p53 activity is lethal to the murine embryo, and p53 has been associated with increased aging in people and mice. Here we review the literature linking p53 to aging and discuss reports demonstrating that p53 can suppress tumor formation without accelerating aging. We raise the possibility that activation of p53 remains a promising strategy for cancer chemoprevention and therapy even if, under some circumstances, p53 might accelerate aging.

Aging↗

PubMed2006

Tumor suppression and normal aging in mice with constitutively high p53 activity.

The p53 inhibitor murine double-minute gene 2 (Mdm2) is a target for potential cancer therapies, however increased p53 function can be lethal. To directly address whether reduced Mdm2 function can inhibit tumorigenesis without causing detrimental side effects, we exploited a hypomorphic murine allele of mdm2 to compare the effects of decreased levels of Mdm2 and hence increased p53 activity on tumorigenesis and life span in mice. Here we report that mice with decreased levels of Mdm2 are resistant to tumor formation yet do not age prematurely, supporting the notion that Mdm2 is a promising target for cancer therapeutics.

Aging↗

PubMed2005

The mSin3A chromatin-modifying complex is essential for embryogenesis and T-cell development.

The corepressor mSin3A is the core component of a chromatin-modifying complex that is recruited by multiple gene-specific transcriptional repressors. In order to understand the role of mSin3A during development, we generated constitutive germ line as well as conditional msin3A deletions. msin3A deletion in the developing mouse embryo results in lethality at the postimplantation stage, demonstrating that it is an essential gene. Blastocysts derived from preimplantation msin3A null embryos and mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking msin3A display a significant reduction in cell division. msin3A null MEFs also show mislocalization of the heterochromatin protein, HP1alpha, without alterations in global histone acetylation. Heterozygous msin3A(+/-) mice with a systemic twofold decrease in mSin3A protein develop splenomegaly as well as kidney disease indicative of a disruption of lymphocyte homeostasis. Conditional deletion of msin3A from developing T cells results in reduced thymic cellularity and a fivefold decrease in the number of cytotoxic (CD8) T cells, while helper (CD4) T cells are unaffected. We show that CD8 development is dependent on mSin3A at a step downstream of T-cell receptor signaling and that loss of mSin3A specifically decreases survival of double-positive and CD8 T cells. Thus, msin3A is a pleiotropic gene which, in addition to its role in cell cycle progression, is required for the development and homeostasis of cells in the lymphoid lineage.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Mdm2 regulates p53 independently of p19(ARF) in homeostatic tissues.

Tumor suppressor proteins must be exquisitely regulated since they can induce cell death while preventing cancer. For example, the p19(ARF) tumor suppressor (p14(ARF) in humans) appears to stimulate the apoptotic function of the p53 tumor suppressor to prevent lymphomagenesis and carcinogenesis induced by oncogene overexpression. Here we present a genetic approach to defining the role of p19(ARF) in regulating the apoptotic function of p53 in highly proliferating, homeostatic tissues. In contrast to our expectation, p19(ARF) did not activate the apoptotic function of p53 in lymphocytes or epithelial cells. These results demonstrate that the mechanisms that control p53 function during homeostasis differ from those that are critical for tumor suppression. Moreover, the Mdm2/p53/p19(ARF) pathway appears to exist only under very restricted conditions.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

mdm2 Is critical for inhibition of p53 during lymphopoiesis and the response to ionizing irradiation.

The function of the p53 tumor suppressor protein must be highly regulated because p53 can cause cell death and prevent tumorigenesis. In cultured cells, the p90MDM2 protein blocks the transcriptional activation domain of p53 and also stimulates the degradation of p53. Here we provide the first conclusive demonstration that p90MDM2 constitutively regulates p53 activity in homeostatic tissues. Mice with a hypomorphic allele of mdm2 revealed a heretofore unknown role for mdm2 in lymphopoiesis and epithelial cell survival. Phenotypic analyses revealed that both the transcriptional activation and apoptotic functions of p53 were increased in these mice. However, the level of p53 protein was not coordinately increased, suggesting that p90MDM2 can inhibit the transcriptional activation and apoptotic functions of p53 in a manner independent of degradation. Cre-mediated deletion of mdm2 caused a greater accumulation of p53, demonstrating that p90MDM2 constitutively regulates both the activity and the level of p53 in homeostatic tissues. The observation that only a subset of tissues with activated p53 underwent apoptosis indicates that factors other than p90(MDM2) determine the physiological consequences of p53 activation. Furthermore, reduction of mdm2 in vivo resulted in radiosensitivity, highlighting the importance of mdm2 as a potential target for adjuvant cancer therapies.

Alleles↗