ARF-BP1/Mule is a critical mediator of the ARF tumor suppressor.
Although the importance of the ARF tumor suppressor in p53 regulation is well established, numerous studies indicate that ARF also suppresses cell growth in a p53/Mdm2-independent manner. To understand the mechanism of ARF-mediated tumor suppression, we identified a ubiquitin ligase, ARF-BP1, as a key factor associated with ARF in vivo. ARF-BP1 harbors a signature HECT motif, and its ubiquitin ligase activity is inhibited by ARF. Notably, inactivation of ARF-BP1, but not Mdm2, suppresses the growth of p53 null cells in a manner reminiscent of ARF induction. Surprisingly, in p53 wild-type cells, ARF-BP1 directly binds and ubiquitinates p53, and inactivation of endogenous ARF-BP1 is crucial for ARF-mediated p53 stabilization. Thus, our study modifies the current view of ARF-mediated p53 activation and reveals that ARF-BP1 is a critical mediator of both the p53-independent and p53-dependent tumor suppressor functions of ARF. As such, ARF-BP1 may serve as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in tumors regardless of p53 status.
Chen
Delin
D
Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pathology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, New York 10032.
Kon
Ning
N
Li
Muyang
M
Zhang
Wenzhu
W
Qin
Jun
J
Gu
Wei
W
D020816:Amino Acid Motifs / Q000502:physiology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; D034622:RNA Interference; D025803:Tumor Suppressor Protein p14ARF / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D025803:Tumor Suppressor Protein p14ARF; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin; C502830:HUWE1 protein, human; C502831:Huwe1 protein, mouse; C497206:MDM2 protein, human; C497207:Mdm2 protein, mouse; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases