Tumor Suppression at the Mouse INK4a Locus Mediated by the Alternative Reading Frame Product p19 ARF

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Abstract

The INK4a tumor suppressor locus encodes p16INK4a, an inhibitor of cyclin D-dependent kinases, and p19ARF, an alternative reading frame protein that also blocks cell proliferation. Surprisingly, mice lacking p19ARF but expressing functional p16INK4a develop tumors early in life. Their embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) do not senesce and are transformed by oncogenic Ha-ras alone. Conversion of ARF+/+ or ARF+/- MEF strains to continuously proliferating cell lines involves loss of either p19ARF or p53. p53-mediated checkpoint control is unperturbed in ARF-null fibroblast strains, whereas p53-negative cell lines are resistant to p19ARF-induced growth arrest. Therefore, INK4a encodes growth inhibitory proteins that act upstream of the retinoblastoma protein and p53. Mutations and deletions targeting this locus in cancer cells are unlikely to be functionally equivalent.

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Most cited references 33

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Mice deficient for p53 are developmentally normal but susceptible to spontaneous tumours.

L A Donehower, M. Harvey, B Slagle … (1992)

Mutations in the p53 tumour-suppressor gene are the most frequently observed genetic lesions in human cancers. To investigate the role of the p53 gene in mammalian development and tumorigenesis, a null mutation was introduced into the gene by homologous recombination in murine embryonic stem cells. Mice homozygous for the null allele appear normal but are prone to the spontaneous development of a variety of neoplasms by 6 months of age. These observations indicate that a normal p53 gene is dispensable for embryonic development, that its absence predisposes the animal to neoplastic disease, and that an oncogenic mutant form of p53 is not obligatory for the genesis of many types of tumours.

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Tumor spectrum analysis in p53-mutant mice.

T Jacks, L Remington, B Williams … (1994)

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is mutated in a large percentage of human malignancies, including tumors of the colon, breast, lung and brain. Individuals who inherit one mutant allele of p53 are susceptible to a wide range of tumor types. The gene encodes a transcriptional regulator that may function in the cellular response to DNA damage. The construction of mouse strains carrying germline mutations of p53 facilitates analysis of the function of p53 in normal cells and tumorigenesis. In order to study the effects of p53 mutation in vivo, we have constructed a mouse strain carrying a germline disruption of the gene. This mutation removes approximately 40% of the coding capacity of p53 and completely eliminates synthesis of p53 protein. As observed previously for a different germline mutation of p53, animals homozygous for this p53 deletion mutation are viable but highly predisposed to malignancy. Heterozygous animals also have an increased cancer risk, although the distribution of tumor types in these animals differs from that in homozygous mutants. In most cases, tumorigenesis in heterozygous animals is accompanied by loss of the wild-type p53 allele. We reaffirm that p53 function is not required for normal mouse development and conclude that p53 status can strongly influence tumor latency and tissue distribution.

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Mice lacking p21CIP1/WAF1 undergo normal development, but are defective in G1 checkpoint control.

Chuxia Deng, Pumin Zhang, J. Wade Harper … (1995)

p21CIP1/WAF1 is a CDK inhibitor regulated by the tumor suppressor p53 and is hypothesized to mediate G1 arrest. p53 has been suggested to derive anti-oncogenic properties from this relationship. To test these notions, we created mice lacking p21CIP1/WAF1. They develop normally and (unlike p53-/- mice) have not developed spontaneous malignancies during 7 months of observation. Nonetheless, p21-/- embryonic fibroblasts are significantly deficient in their ability to arrest in G1 in response to DNA damage and nucleotide pool perturbation. p21-/- cells also exhibit a significant growth alteration in vitro, achieving a saturation density as high as that observed in p53-/- cells. In contrast, other aspects of p53 function, such as thymocytic apoptosis and the mitotic spindle checkpoint, appear normal. These results establish the role of p21CIP1/WAF1 in the G1 checkpoint, but suggest that the anti-apoptotic and the anti-oncogenic effects of p53 are more complex.