Abstract
The p53 tumor suppressor gene product is a transcriptional regulatory protein. It activates transcription from promoters that contain a p53 DNA binding site but represses many promoters that lack its binding site. High-level expression of wild-type p53 can induce apoptosis in certain cell types, and this activity can be blocked by the adenovirus E1B 19-kDa oncoprotein or by the cellular Bcl-2 oncoprotein. Here we report that p53-mediated repression of promoters that lack a p53 binding site is abrogated by the E1B 19-kDa protein or Bcl-2 oncoprotein. In contrast, transcriptional activation by p53 still occurs in the presence of either protein. The fact that two oncoproteins capable of preventing p53-mediated apoptosis also block transcriptional repression by p53 raises the possibility that p53 might induce apoptosis, at least in part, by repressing transcription.
Full text
PDF




Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Baker S. J., Markowitz S., Fearon E. R., Willson J. K., Vogelstein B. Suppression of human colorectal carcinoma cell growth by wild-type p53. Science. 1990 Aug 24;249(4971):912–915. doi: 10.1126/science.2144057. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Barker D. D., Berk A. J. Adenovirus proteins from both E1B reading frames are required for transformation of rodent cells by viral infection and DNA transfection. Virology. 1987 Jan;156(1):107–121. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(87)90441-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chin K. V., Ueda K., Pastan I., Gottesman M. M. Modulation of activity of the promoter of the human MDR1 gene by Ras and p53. Science. 1992 Jan 24;255(5043):459–462. doi: 10.1126/science.1346476. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Clarke A. R., Purdie C. A., Harrison D. J., Morris R. G., Bird C. C., Hooper M. L., Wyllie A. H. Thymocyte apoptosis induced by p53-dependent and independent pathways. Nature. 1993 Apr 29;362(6423):849–852. doi: 10.1038/362849a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Deb S., Jackson C. T., Subler M. A., Martin D. W. Modulation of cellular and viral promoters by mutant human p53 proteins found in tumor cells. J Virol. 1992 Oct;66(10):6164–6170. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.10.6164-6170.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Debbas M., White E. Wild-type p53 mediates apoptosis by E1A, which is inhibited by E1B. Genes Dev. 1993 Apr;7(4):546–554. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.4.546. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Diller L., Kassel J., Nelson C. E., Gryka M. A., Litwak G., Gebhardt M., Bressac B., Ozturk M., Baker S. J., Vogelstein B. p53 functions as a cell cycle control protein in osteosarcomas. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Nov;10(11):5772–5781. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.11.5772. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Eliyahu D., Michalovitz D., Eliyahu S., Pinhasi-Kimhi O., Oren M. Wild-type p53 can inhibit oncogene-mediated focus formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Nov;86(22):8763–8767. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.22.8763. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ellis R. E., Yuan J. Y., Horvitz H. R. Mechanisms and functions of cell death. Annu Rev Cell Biol. 1991;7:663–698. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cb.07.110191.003311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Finlay C. A., Hinds P. W., Levine A. J. The p53 proto-oncogene can act as a suppressor of transformation. Cell. 1989 Jun 30;57(7):1083–1093. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90045-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ginsberg D., Mechta F., Yaniv M., Oren M. Wild-type p53 can down-modulate the activity of various promoters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Nov 15;88(22):9979–9983. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.22.9979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Harper J. W., Adami G. R., Wei N., Keyomarsi K., Elledge S. J. The p21 Cdk-interacting protein Cip1 is a potent inhibitor of G1 cyclin-dependent kinases. Cell. 1993 Nov 19;75(4):805–816. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90499-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hartwell L. Defects in a cell cycle checkpoint may be responsible for the genomic instability of cancer cells. Cell. 1992 Nov 13;71(4):543–546. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90586-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Herrmann C. H., Mathews M. B. The adenovirus E1B 19-kilodalton protein stimulates gene expression by increasing DNA levels. Mol Cell Biol. 1989 Dec;9(12):5412–5423. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.12.5412. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hockenbery D., Nuñez G., Milliman C., Schreiber R. D., Korsmeyer S. J. Bcl-2 is an inner mitochondrial membrane protein that blocks programmed cell death. Nature. 1990 Nov 22;348(6299):334–336. doi: 10.1038/348334a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jackson P., Bos E., Braithwaite A. W. Wild-type mouse p53 down-regulates transcription from different virus enhancer/promoters. Oncogene. 1993 Mar;8(3):589–597. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kley N., Chung R. Y., Fay S., Loeffler J. P., Seizinger B. R. Repression of the basal c-fos promoter by wild-type p53. Nucleic Acids Res. 1992 Aug 11;20(15):4083–4087. doi: 10.1093/nar/20.15.4083. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lechner M. S., Mack D. H., Finicle A. B., Crook T., Vousden K. H., Laimins L. A. Human papillomavirus E6 proteins bind p53 in vivo and abrogate p53-mediated repression of transcription. EMBO J. 1992 Aug;11(8):3045–3052. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05375.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lin D., Shields M. T., Ullrich S. J., Appella E., Mercer W. E. Growth arrest induced by wild-type p53 protein blocks cells prior to or near the restriction point in late G1 phase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Oct 1;89(19):9210–9214. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.19.9210. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lowe S. W., Ruley H. E., Jacks T., Housman D. E. p53-dependent apoptosis modulates the cytotoxicity of anticancer agents. Cell. 1993 Sep 24;74(6):957–967. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90719-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lowe S. W., Ruley H. E. Stabilization of the p53 tumor suppressor is induced by adenovirus 5 E1A and accompanies apoptosis. Genes Dev. 1993 Apr;7(4):535–545. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.4.535. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lowe S. W., Schmitt E. M., Smith S. W., Osborne B. A., Jacks T. p53 is required for radiation-induced apoptosis in mouse thymocytes. Nature. 1993 Apr 29;362(6423):847–849. doi: 10.1038/362847a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mack D. H., Vartikar J., Pipas J. M., Laimins L. A. Specific repression of TATA-mediated but not initiator-mediated transcription by wild-type p53. Nature. 1993 May 20;363(6426):281–283. doi: 10.1038/363281a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Martinez J., Georgoff I., Martinez J., Levine A. J. Cellular localization and cell cycle regulation by a temperature-sensitive p53 protein. Genes Dev. 1991 Feb;5(2):151–159. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.2.151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Matlashewski G., Banks L., Pim D., Crawford L. Analysis of human p53 proteins and mRNA levels in normal and transformed cells. Eur J Biochem. 1986 Feb 3;154(3):665–672. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1986.tb09449.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Miyashita T., Krajewski S., Krajewska M., Wang H. G., Lin H. K., Liebermann D. A., Hoffman B., Reed J. C. Tumor suppressor p53 is a regulator of bcl-2 and bax gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Oncogene. 1994 Jun;9(6):1799–1805. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Oltvai Z. N., Milliman C. L., Korsmeyer S. J. Bcl-2 heterodimerizes in vivo with a conserved homolog, Bax, that accelerates programmed cell death. Cell. 1993 Aug 27;74(4):609–619. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90509-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ragimov N., Krauskopf A., Navot N., Rotter V., Oren M., Aloni Y. Wild-type but not mutant p53 can repress transcription initiation in vitro by interfering with the binding of basal transcription factors to the TATA motif. Oncogene. 1993 May;8(5):1183–1193. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rao L., Debbas M., Sabbatini P., Hockenbery D., Korsmeyer S., White E. The adenovirus E1A proteins induce apoptosis, which is inhibited by the E1B 19-kDa and Bcl-2 proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Aug 15;89(16):7742–7746. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.16.7742. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ruley H. E. Adenovirus early region 1A enables viral and cellular transforming genes to transform primary cells in culture. Nature. 1983 Aug 18;304(5927):602–606. doi: 10.1038/304602a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sarnow P., Ho Y. S., Williams J., Levine A. J. Adenovirus E1b-58kd tumor antigen and SV40 large tumor antigen are physically associated with the same 54 kd cellular protein in transformed cells. Cell. 1982 Feb;28(2):387–394. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90356-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Selvakumaran M., Lin H. K., Miyashita T., Wang H. G., Krajewski S., Reed J. C., Hoffman B., Liebermann D. Immediate early up-regulation of bax expression by p53 but not TGF beta 1: a paradigm for distinct apoptotic pathways. Oncogene. 1994 Jun;9(6):1791–1798. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Seto E., Usheva A., Zambetti G. P., Momand J., Horikoshi N., Weinmann R., Levine A. J., Shenk T. Wild-type p53 binds to the TATA-binding protein and represses transcription. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Dec 15;89(24):12028–12032. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.24.12028. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shaw P., Bovey R., Tardy S., Sahli R., Sordat B., Costa J. Induction of apoptosis by wild-type p53 in a human colon tumor-derived cell line. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 May 15;89(10):4495–4499. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.10.4495. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shenk T., Flint J. Transcriptional and transforming activities of the adenovirus E1A proteins. Adv Cancer Res. 1991;57:47–85. doi: 10.1016/s0065-230x(08)60995-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shi Y., Seto E., Chang L. S., Shenk T. Transcriptional repression by YY1, a human GLI-Krüppel-related protein, and relief of repression by adenovirus E1A protein. Cell. 1991 Oct 18;67(2):377–388. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90189-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shiio Y., Yamamoto T., Yamaguchi N. Negative regulation of Rb expression by the p53 gene product. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Jun 15;89(12):5206–5210. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.12.5206. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Subler M. A., Martin D. W., Deb S. Inhibition of viral and cellular promoters by human wild-type p53. J Virol. 1992 Aug;66(8):4757–4762. doi: 10.1128/jvi.66.8.4757-4762.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ullrich S. J., Mercer W. E., Appella E. Human wild-type p53 adopts a unique conformational and phosphorylation state in vivo during growth arrest of glioblastoma cells. Oncogene. 1992 Aug;7(8):1635–1643. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- White E., Cipriani R. Role of adenovirus E1B proteins in transformation: altered organization of intermediate filaments in transformed cells that express the 19-kilodalton protein. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Jan;10(1):120–130. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.1.120. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- White E., Cipriani R., Sabbatini P., Denton A. Adenovirus E1B 19-kilodalton protein overcomes the cytotoxicity of E1A proteins. J Virol. 1991 Jun;65(6):2968–2978. doi: 10.1128/jvi.65.6.2968-2978.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- White E., Cipriani R. Specific disruption of intermediate filaments and the nuclear lamina by the 19-kDa product of the adenovirus E1B oncogene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Dec;86(24):9886–9890. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.24.9886. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- White E. Death-defying acts: a meeting review on apoptosis. Genes Dev. 1993 Dec;7(12A):2277–2284. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.12a.2277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- White E., Sabbatini P., Debbas M., Wold W. S., Kusher D. I., Gooding L. R. The 19-kilodalton adenovirus E1B transforming protein inhibits programmed cell death and prevents cytolysis by tumor necrosis factor alpha. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Jun;12(6):2570–2580. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.6.2570. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Williams G. T. Programmed cell death: apoptosis and oncogenesis. Cell. 1991 Jun 28;65(7):1097–1098. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90002-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yew P. R., Berk A. J. Inhibition of p53 transactivation required for transformation by adenovirus early 1B protein. Nature. 1992 May 7;357(6373):82–85. doi: 10.1038/357082a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yew P. R., Liu X., Berk A. J. Adenovirus E1B oncoprotein tethers a transcriptional repression domain to p53. Genes Dev. 1994 Jan;8(2):190–202. doi: 10.1101/gad.8.2.190. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yonish-Rouach E., Resnitzky D., Lotem J., Sachs L., Kimchi A., Oren M. Wild-type p53 induces apoptosis of myeloid leukaemic cells that is inhibited by interleukin-6. Nature. 1991 Jul 25;352(6333):345–347. doi: 10.1038/352345a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zambetti G. P., Bargonetti J., Walker K., Prives C., Levine A. J. Wild-type p53 mediates positive regulation of gene expression through a specific DNA sequence element. Genes Dev. 1992 Jul;6(7):1143–1152. doi: 10.1101/gad.6.7.1143. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zambetti G. P., Levine A. J. A comparison of the biological activities of wild-type and mutant p53. FASEB J. 1993 Jul;7(10):855–865. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.7.10.8344485. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- el-Deiry W. S., Tokino T., Velculescu V. E., Levy D. B., Parsons R., Trent J. M., Lin D., Mercer W. E., Kinzler K. W., Vogelstein B. WAF1, a potential mediator of p53 tumor suppression. Cell. 1993 Nov 19;75(4):817–825. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90500-p. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]