Susceptibility of Heterozygous and Nullizygous P53 Knockout Mice to Chemical Carcinogens: Tissue Dependence and Role of P53 Gene Mutations
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
J Toxicol Pathol 2005; 18: 121–134 Review Susceptibility of Heterozygous and Nullizygous p53 Knockout Mice to Chemical Carcinogens: Tissue Dependence and Role of p53 Gene Mutations Tetsuya Tsukamoto1, Akihiro Hirata1, and Masae Tatematsu1 1Division of Oncological Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, 1–1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464–8681, Japan Abstract: Mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene constitute one of the most frequent molecular changes in a wide variety of human cancers and mice deficient in p53 have recently attracted attention for their potential to identify chemical genotoxins. In this article, we review the data on the susceptibility of p53 nullizygote (–/–), heterozygote (+/ –), and wild type (+/+) mice to various carcinogens. Induction of esophageal and tongue squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) by methyl-n-amylnitrosamine was shown to be increased in p53 (+/–) mice, in addition to the high sensitivity shown by p53 (–/–) littermates. N,N-dibutylnitrosamine (DBN) treatment also caused more tumor development in p53 (+/–) than wild-type mice, as with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) in the urinary bladder. In addition, p53 (+/–) heterozygotes proved more sensitive than wild type littermates to the induction of stromal cell tumors like hemangiomas/hemangiosarcomas by N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)nitrosamine (BHP) or lymphomas and fibrosarcomas with other carcinogens. Analysis of exons 5–8 of the p53 gene demonstrated mutations in approximately one half of the lesions. With N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, preneoplastic lesions of the stomach, pepsinogen altered pyloric glands (PAPG), and a gastric adenocarcinoma, were found after only 15 weeks in p53 (–/–) mice, although there was no significant difference in the incidence of gastric tumors between p53 (+/+) and (+/–) mice in the longer-term. Regarding colon carcinogenicity, adenocarcinomas were observed limited to 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine treated p53 (–/–) mice in the short term, but again, no significant difference was evident between the p53 (+/+) and (+/–) cases at the end of the study. Furthermore, diethylnitrosamine or aminophenylnorharman treated p53 (+/–) mice did not demonstrate elevated susceptibility to tumors in the liver. With BHP, which induces tumors in multiple organs, p53 (+/–) mice were not more statistically sensitive with regard to lung tumor development than p53 (+/+). Of the malignant tumors examined in p53 (+/+) and (+/–) mice, as many as 10% demonstrated mutations in the p53 gene. These results suggest that p53 may not be a direct target for mouse adenomas/adenocarcinomas, but rather plays an important role as a gatekeeper in their genesis. In contrast p53 itself is frequently mutated in squamous, urothelial, or stromal tumors with a clear order of susceptibility: p53 (–/–) > p53 (+/–) > p53 (+/+) mice. p53 (–/–) mice are versatile animals for carcinogenicity testing, despite their disadvantage of a high background of spontaneous tumor development, and tissue dependence must be taken into account when exposing p53 (+/–) mice to chemical carcinogens. (J Toxicol Pathol 2005; 18: 121–134) Key words: p53 knockout mouse, susceptibility, tissue dependence Introduction development of a variety of tumors2. As an animal model for this disorder, mice deficient in p53 alleles have been Mutations of the p53 gene constitute one of the most established3–6. These animals show normal development, frequent molecular changes been in a wide variety of human but homozygote knockouts (–/–) show extreme sensitivity to cancers1. In addition to somatic mutations in sporadic chemical carcinogens, almost irrespective of the organ3. cancers, germline mutations in the p53 gene are associated However, the frequent spontaneous development of tumors with the Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a familial autosomal in p53 knockout mice, including thymic lymphomas and dominant disease characterized by a predisposition to sarcomas at young adult age, hinders their application for risk assessment purposes. p53 (+/–) mice, on the other hand, have only a low incidence of background spontaneous Received: 1 June 2005, Accepted: 3 August 2005 tumors until late in life7,8 and thus have attracted interest as Mailing address: Tetsuya Tsukamoto, Division of Oncological experimental animals in tests for the carcinogenic potential Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, 1–1 Kanokoden, of chemicals. The same mouse model has also been widely Chikusa, Nagoya 464–8681, Japan utilized for functional analysis of the p53 gene in TEL: 81-52-762-6111 (ext. 7062) FAX: 81-52-764-2972 carcinogenesis studies. There have been several reports that E-mail: [email protected] 122 Susceptibility of the p53 Knockout Mice p53 (+/–) mice are highly sensitive to genotoxic carcinogens, damage checkpoints employ damage sensor proteins, such as such as N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), ATM- and Rad3- targeting the urinary bladder9, N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) related (ATR), the Rad17-replication factor C (Rad17-RFC) inducing uterine endometrial stromal sarcomas10, N,N- complex, and the toroidal Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 checkpoint dibutylnitrosamine (DBN) causing esophagus and urinary complex (9-1-1 complex), to detect DNA damage and to bladder tumors11, methyl-n-amylnitrosamine (MNAN) initiate signal transduction cascades involving checkpoint active in the esophagus12 and tongue13 and urethane inducing kinase (Chk) 1 and Chk2 Ser/Thr kinases and Cdc25 vascular tumors14. However, p53 (+/–) mice have not been phosphatases. The signal transducers activate p53 and shown to have increased susceptibility to induction of inactivate cyclin-dependent kinases to inhibit cell cycle hepatocellular tumors by diethylnitrosamine (DEN)15 or progression33. The ATM gene, when mutated in the genetic breast tumors by 7,12-dimethyl[a]benzanthracene instability syndrome ataxia telangiectasia, is linked to (DMBA)16. We have also shown only a minimal increment increased cancer risk. ATM and its related kinase, ATR, of sensitivity in p53 (+/–) mice to stomach tumors induced phosphorylate a number of down stream proteins, including by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)17, colon tumors after p53, to effect stabilization34. Then p53 in turn plays a critical treatment with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)18, and liver role in maintaining genome integrity by activating a tumors induced with a heterocyclic amine, biochemical chain reaction that leads to cell cycle aminophenylnorharman (APNH)19. Furthermore, utilization checkpoint activation from G1 to S (the G1/S checkpoint)35 of N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)nitrosamine (BHP) for the or from G2 to mitosis (the G2/M checkpoint)36. In the G1/S induction of tumors in multiple organs, pointed to tissue checkpoint case, cyclin E-Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) specificity regarding susceptibility (Hirata et al., manuscript is inactivated by a p53-inducible Cdk inhibitor, p21CIP1/WAF1 submitted). In the present report, we review our data and 37. The G2/M checkpoint involves inhibition of Cdc2, the discuss the mechanisms of the sensitivity of p53 knockout cyclin-dependent kinase required to enter mitosis. Cdc2 is mice. inhibited simultaneously by three transcriptional targets of p53, Gadd45, p21, and 14-3-3σ. Binding of Cdc2 to Cyclin p53 as a Tumor Suppressor B1 is required for its activity, and repression of the cyclin B1 gene by p53 also contributes to blocking entry into mitosis36. Discovery of the p53 Cdc25A phosphatase38 and Cdk2 kinase39 appear central in p53 is a tumor suppressor gene which is frequently the transient intra-S-phase response for repair of DNA altered in human malignancies20. Located on the short arm damage during DNA replication (the intra-S checkpoint). of human chromosome 17p1321, where loss of Cells try to repair their DNA during checkpoint delay. heterozygosity (LOH) is frequently observed in human However, if the repair processes fail, p53 stimulates multiple cancers22, the gene yields a 2.8 kb mRNA transcript and apoptotic mechanisms including both nuclear and encodes a 53 kD nuclear phosphoprotein composed of 393 mitochondrial pathways40. p53 protein can directly induce amino acids23. The p53 protein was initially identified in permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane by SV40-transformed cells, where it was thought to be a forming complexes with the protective BclXL and Bcl2 transformation-specific protein or tumor antigen24. proteins, resulting in cytochrome c release with binding to Transfection assays in NIH3T3 fibroblast cells initially BclXL via its DNA binding domain, in the intrinsic suggested p53 to be an oncogene25, but subsequently it was pathway41. p53 also functions to activate the pro-apoptotic demonstrated that only mutant forms of p53 possess the proteins BAX and BAK on the mitochondrial membranes capacity to immortalize cells and the wild-type protein through direct physical interaction42. Besides these actually suppresses transformation26. Furthermore, a tumor mitochondrial pathways, p53 also induces the expression of suppressor role was suggested by the fact that LOH and point proteins in extrinsic death-receptor pathways mediated by mutations in the remaining allele were frequently identified elements such as FAS and DR5/KILLER43. p53 induces Fas in colorectal27 and lung28 cancers. There is now mRNA expression by binding to its promoter region. DR5 is overwhelming evidence that the normal function of p53 is in also induced by p53 in response to DNA damage and in turn fact that of a tumor suppressor29.