title: p53-null cells are more sensitive to ultraviolet light only in the presence of caffeine.
abstract: We have shown previously that p53(-/-) fibroblasts show greater sensitization by caffeine to the lethal effects of ionizing radiation compared with p53(+/+) cells. Recently published data have suggested a possible role of p53 in nucleotide excision repair: an association of p53 and xeroderma pigmentosum group B protein and a greater sensitivity to cisplatin of RKO cells transfected with the E6 protein of human papilloma virus (inactivating p53). We show that p53(+/+) and p53(-/-) cells have equal sensitivity to germicidal UV light (as with ionizing radiation). However, the introduction of 2 mM caffeine led to a sensitization enhancement ratio (at 10% survival) of 1.8 in p53(-/-) cells, but only 1.3 in wild-type (p53+/+) cells. Lower doses of caffeine had less effect, and 0.1 mM caffeine resulted in no detectable sensitization of either cell type to UV light in contrast to X-rays. The differential sensitivity of p53(-/-) cells to X-rays and caffeine was thought to be due to override of the G2-M block to cell cycle progression. In response to UV light, cells accumulate in S phase, and the magnitude of S-phase accumulation was observed to be greater in p53(-/-) cells. Caffeine had little effect on the cell cycle distribution in p53(+/+) cells. However, for p53(-/-) cells, a greater proportion were in S phase after treatment with caffeine, and a complete loss of S-phase delay was observed after UV irradiation. In conclusion, the role of p53 in nucleotide excision repair appears to be of little significance for cell survival. Greater sensitization of p53(-/-) cells to caffeine could be mediated via override of S-phase delay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: DeFrank
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D004260:DNA Repair; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016158:Genes, p53; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000502:physiology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D002110:Caffeine