title: Ataxia telangiectasia mutated deficiency affects astrocyte growth but not radiosensitivity.
abstract: The cancer-prone neurodegenerative disorder, ataxia telangiectasia (A-T), results from mutations of ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated). Individuals with A-T are also hypersensitive to ionizing radiation (IR). Cultured cells from A-T individuals or Atm-/- mice have cell cycle and growth defects and are generally considered radiosensitive. However, it has been shown recently that cell populations in the Atm-/- central nervous system are radioresistant. To define specific IR sensitivities of neural populations, we analyzed Atm-/- astrocytes. Here we show that Atm-/- astrocytes exhibit premature senescence, express constitutively high levels of p21, and have impaired p53 stabilization. However, in contrast to radiosensitive Atm-/- fibroblasts and radioresistant Atm-/- neurons, survival of Atm-/- astrocytes after IR was similar to wild-type astrocytes. Additionally, p53-null astrocytes, but not fibroblasts, were moderately more radioresistant than their wild-type counterparts, suggesting that the deficit in p53 stabilization observed in Atm-null cells is not a measure of radiation susceptibility. Thus, in astrocytes, the function of Atm in cellular growth and radiosensitivity is distinct. These data may have implications for ATM disruption strategies as a radiosensitizing treatment for brain tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gosink
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McKinnon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001260:Ataxia Telangiectasia / Q000235:genetics*; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009154:Mutation; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000502:physiology; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011506:Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C576324:ATM protein, human; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; C576325:Atm protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases