title: Hypoxia activates tumor suppressor p53 by inducing ATR-Chk1 kinase cascade-mediated phosphorylation and consequent 14-3-3γ inactivation of MDMX protein.
abstract: It has been known that p53 can be induced and activated by hypoxia, an abnormal condition that often occurs in rapidly growing solid tumors or when normal tissues undergo ischemia. Although the ATR-Chk1 kinase cascade was associated with hypoxia-induced p53 activation, molecules that directly link this hypoxia-ATR-Chk1 pathway to p53 activation have been elusive. Here, we showed that hypoxia could induce phosphorylation of MDMX at Ser-367 and enhance the binding of this phosphorylated MDMX to 14-3-3γ, consequently leading to p53 activation. A Chk1 inhibitor or knockdown of ATR and Chk1 inhibited the phosphorylation of MDMX at Ser-367 and impaired the binding of MDMX to 14-3-3γ in addition to p53 activation in response to hypoxia. In primary mouse embryonic fibroblast cells that harbor a mutant MDMX, including the S367A mutation, hypoxia also failed to induce the binding of this mutant MDMX to 14-3-3γ and to activate p53 and its direct targets. These results demonstrate that hypoxia can activate p53 through inactivation of MDMX by the ATR-Chk1-MDMX-14-3-3γ pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA.
authors.forename: Jun-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yetao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Guifen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shelya X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Yunyuan V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Geoffrey M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000502:physiology; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C482775:MDM4 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D011494:Protein Kinases; C576897:Atr protein, mouse; C576597:ATR protein, human; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; C000605867:CHEK1 protein, human; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; C000605869:Chek1 protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases