Activation of p53 by Nutlin-3a, an antagonist of MDM2, induces apoptosis and cellular senescence in adult T-cell leukemia cells.
It has been reported that the induction of cellular senescence through p53 activation is an effective strategy in tumor regression. Unfortunately, however, tumors including adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) have disadvantages such as p53 mutations and a lack of p16(INK4a) and/or p14(ARF). In this study we characterized Nutlin-3a-induced cell death in 16 leukemia/lymphoma cell lines. Eight cell lines, including six ATL-related cell lines, had wild-type p53 and Nutlin-3a-activated p53, and the cell lines underwent apoptosis or cell-cycle arrest, whereas eight cell lines with mutated p53 were resistant. Interestingly, senescence-associated-beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-gal) staining revealed that only ATL-related cell lines with wild-type p53 showed cellular senescence, although they lack both p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF). These results indicate that cellular senescence is an important event in p53-dependent cell death in ATL cells and is inducible without p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF). Furthermore, knockdown of Tp53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR), a novel target gene of p53, by small interfering RNA(siRNA) indicated its important role in the induction of cellular senescence. As many patients with ATL carry wild-type p53, our study suggests that p53 activation by Nutlin-3a is a promising strategy in ATL. We also found synergism with a combination of Nutlin-3a and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), suggesting the application of Nutlin-3a-based therapy to be broader than expected.
Hasegawa
H
H
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Yamada
Y
Y
Iha
H
H
Tsukasaki
K
K
Nagai
K
K
Atogami
S
S
Sugahara
K
K
Tsuruda
K
K
Ishizaki
A
A
Kamihira
S
S
D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000187:drug effects; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000235:genetics; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D010879:Piperazines / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000494:pharmacology; D025803:Tumor Suppressor Protein p14ARF / Q000235:genetics; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D007093:Imidazoles; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D010879:Piperazines; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D025803:Tumor Suppressor Protein p14ARF; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C482205:nutlin 3; C497206:MDM2 protein, human; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; C512708:TIGAR protein, human