Gambogic acid counteracts mutant p53 stability by inducing autophagy.

Mutant p53 (mutp53) proteins are frequently present at higher levels than the wild-type (wt) protein in tumors, and some of them can acquire oncogenic properties. Consistently, knockdown of mutp53 protein in human cancer cell lines leads to reduced cell proliferation and invasion as well as to an increased sensitivity to some anticancer drugs. Therefore, the exploitation of cellular pathways and/or molecules that promote mutp53 degradation may have a therapeutic interest. Recently, autophagy is emerging as an important pathway involved in the stability of mutp53. In this paper, we explored the autophagic potential of gambogic acid (GA), a molecule that stimulates the degradation of mutp53 and increases the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. We demonstrated that GA may induce mutp53 degradation through autophagy in cancer cells expressing the p53-R280K (MDA-MB-231) and the p53-S241F (DLD1) proteins. The inhibition of autophagy with bafilomycin A1 or chloroquine counteracted mutp53 degradation by GA. However, the autophagy induction and mutp53 degradation affected cell survival and proliferation only at low GA concentrations. At higher GA concentrations, when cells undergo massive apoptosis, autophagy is no longer detectable by immuno-fluorescence analysis. We concluded that autophagy is a relevant pathway for mutp53 degradation in cancer cells but it contributes only partially to GA-induced cell death, in a time and dose-dependent manner.

Transactivation specificity is conserved among p53 family proteins and depends on a response element sequence code.

Structural and biochemical studies have demonstrated that p73, p63 and p53 recognize DNA with identical amino acids and similar binding affinity. Here, measuring transactivation activity for a large number of response elements (REs) in yeast and human cell lines, we show that p53 family proteins also have overlapping transactivation profiles. We identified mutations at conserved amino acids of loops L1 and L3 in the DNA-binding domain that tune the transactivation potential nearly equally in p73, p63 and p53. For example, the mutant S139F in p73 has higher transactivation potential towards selected REs, enhanced DNA-binding cooperativity in vitro and a flexible loop L1 as seen in the crystal structure of the protein-DNA complex. By studying, how variations in the RE sequence affect transactivation specificity, we discovered a RE-transactivation code that predicts enhanced transactivation; this correlation is stronger for promoters of genes associated with apoptosis.

PRIMA-1 induces autophagy in cancer cells carrying mutant or wild type p53.

PRIMA-1 is a chemical compound identified as a growth suppressor of tumor cells expressing mutant p53. We previously found that in the MDA-MB-231 cell line expressing high level of the mutant p53-R280K protein, PRIMA-1 induced p53 ubiquitination and degradation associated to cell death. In this study, we investigated the ability of PRIMA-1 to induce autophagy in cancer cells. In MDA-MB-231 and HCT116 cells, expressing mutant or wild type p53, respectively, autophagy occurred following exposure to PRIMA-1, as shown by acridine orange staining, anti-LC3 immunofluorescence and immunoblots, as well as by electron microscopy. Autophagy was triggered also in the derivative cell lines knocked-down for p53, although to a different extent than in the parental cells expressing mutant or wild type p53. In particular, while wild type p53 limited PRIMA-1 induced autophagy, mutant p53 conversely promoted autophagy, thus sustaining cell viability following PRIMA-1 treatment. Therefore, the autophagic potential of PRIMA-1, besides being cell context dependent, could be modulated in a different way by the presence of wild type or mutant p53. Furthermore, since both cell lines lacking p53 were more sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of PRIMA-1 than the parental ones, our findings suggest that a deregulated autophagy may favor cell death induced by this drug.

Comparison of the biological effects of MMS and Me-lex, a minor groove methylating agent: clarifying the role of N3-methyladenine.

N3-methyladenine (3-mA), generated by the reaction of methylating agents with DNA, is considered a highly toxic but weakly mutagenic lesion. However, due to its intrinsic instability, some of the biological effects of the adduct can result from the formation of the corresponding depurination product [an apurinic (AP)-site]. Previously, we exploited Me-lex, i.e. {1-methyl-4-[1-methyl-4-(3-methoxysulfonylpropanamido)pyrrole-2-carboxamido]-pyrrole-2 carboxamido}propane, a minor groove equilibrium binder with selectivity for A/T rich sequences that efficiently reacts with DNA to afford 3-mA as the dominant product, to probe the biology of this lesion. Using human p53 cDNA as a target in a yeast system, a weak increase in mutagenicity was observed in the absence of Mag1 (3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase 1, mag1), the enzyme devoted to remove 3-mA from DNA. Moreover, a significant increase in mutagenicity occurred in the absence of the enzymes involved in the repair of AP-sites (AP endonucleases 1 and 2, apn1apn2). Since methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) has been extensively used to explore the biological effects of 3-mA, even though it produces 3-mA in low relative yield, we compared the toxicity and mutagenicity induced by MMS and Me-lex in yeast. A mutagenesis reporter plasmid was damaged in vitro by MMS and then transformed into wild-type and Translesion Synthesis (TLS) Polζ (REV3) and Polη (RAD30) deficient strains. Furthermore, a mag1rad30 double mutant strain was constructed and transformed with the DNA plasmid damaged in vitro by Me-lex. The results confirm the important role of Polζ in the mutagenic bypass of MMS and Me-lex induced lesions, with Polη contributing only towards the bypass of Me-lex induced lesions, mainly in an error-free way. Previous and present results point towards the involvement of AP-sites, derived from the depurination of 3-mA, in the observed toxicity and mutagenicity.

Co-Occurring Alterations in Multiple Tumor Suppressor Genes Are Associated With Worse Outcomes in Patients With EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with metastatic EGFR-mutant NSCLC inevitably have disease progression while on tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Co-occurring tumor suppressor gene (TSG) alterations have been associated with poor outcomes, however, detailed analyses of their impact on patient outcomes are limited. METHODS: Patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs who had tumor genomic profiling were included. Alterations in TP53 and five additional TSGs (RB1, NF1, ARID1A, BRCA1, and PTEN) were used to stratify the cohort into the following three subgroups: patients with tumors harboring a TP53 mutation plus a mutation in at least one additional TSG (TP53mut/TSGmut), those having a TP53 mutation without additional TSG mutations (TP53mut/TSGwt), and those with TP53wt. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were assessed in two independent cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 101 patients from the Yale Cancer Center and 182 patients from the American Association for Cancer Research Project GENIE database were included. In the Yale cohort, TP53 mutations were identified in 65 cases (64%), of which 23 were TP53mut/TSGmut and 42 were TP53mut/TSGwt. Although the presence of a TP53 mutation was associated with worse outcomes, the additional TSG alteration in TP53mut tumors identified a subset of patients associated with particularly aggressive disease and inferior clinical outcome in both the Yale and the GENIE cohorts. Specifically, in the Yale cohort for patients receiving first-line TKIs, those with TP53mut/TSGmut tumors had shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than TP53mut/TSGwt (PFS: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.03, confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-3.69, p < 0.01, OS: HR = 1.58, CI: 0.82-3.04, p = 0.12) or TP53wt cases (PFS: HR 2.4, CI: 1.28-4.47, p < 0.001, OS: HR = 2.54, CI: 1.21-5.34, p < 0.005). Inferior outcomes in patients with TP53mut/TSGmut tumors were also found in those receiving osimertinib as second-line therapy. Similar findings were seen in patients in the GENIE cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with TP53mut/TSGmut tumors represent a patient subgroup characterized by an aggressive disease phenotype and inferior outcomes on EGFR TKIs. This information is important for understanding the biological underpinnings of differential outcomes with TKI treatment and has implications for identifying patients who may benefit from additional therapeutic interventions beyond osimertinib monotherapy.

From Tumor Macroenvironment to Tumor Microenvironment: The Prognostic Role of the Immune System in Oral and Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The interplay between cancer cells and the immune system is crucial in cancer progression and treatment. In this regard, the tumor immune microenvironment and macroenvironment, marked by systemic inflammation markers and TILs, could be considered key prognostic factors in tumors, including oral and lung squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective clinical study on patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) and Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LUSCC), examining stages, comorbidities, treatments, and outcomes. We evaluated the prognostic significance of pre-surgical systemic inflammation markers and tumor microenvironment composition. RESULTS: Associations were found between systemic inflammation markers-NLR, MLR, and PLR-and tumor microenvironment factors, such as TILs and CD8+ cell prevalence-elevated inflammation markers correlated with advanced stages. Specifically, NLR was prognostic in OSCC, whereas PLR was prognostic in LUSCC. Using a cutoff value, we divided our tumor samples into two prognostic groups. Moreover, TILs levels >15% of tumor stroma correlated with prolonged overall survival in both OSCC and LUSCC, while increased CD8+ expression was linked to extended disease-free survival in LUSCC. DISCUSSION: Systemic inflammation markers and TILs can be valuable prognostic factors of survival, highlighting the immune response's role in OSCC and LUSCC. Despite limited clinical integration of the presented cohorts due to a lack of standardization, we concluded that analyzing tumor immune profiles may offer novel prognostic insights. CONCLUSIONS: Future integration into cancer classification could improve risk stratification and treatment guidance.

Patient-Derived Models of Cancer in the NCI PDMC Consortium: Selection, Pitfalls, and Practical Recommendations.

For over a century, early researchers sought to study biological organisms in a laboratory setting, leading to the generation of both in vitro and in vivo model systems. Patient-derived models of cancer (PDMCs) have more recently come to the forefront of preclinical cancer models and are even finding their way into clinical practice as part of functional precision medicine programs. The PDMC Consortium, supported by the Division of Cancer Biology in the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, seeks to understand the biological principles that govern the various PDMC behaviors, particularly in response to perturbagens, such as cancer therapeutics. Based on collective experience from the consortium groups, we provide insight regarding PDMCs established both in vitro and in vivo, with a focus on practical matters related to developing and maintaining key cancer models through a series of vignettes. Although every model has the potential to offer valuable insights, the choice of the right model should be guided by the research question. However, recognizing the inherent constraints in each model is crucial. Our objective here is to delineate the strengths and limitations of each model as established by individual vignettes. Further advances in PDMCs and the development of novel model systems will enable us to better understand human biology and improve the study of human pathology in the lab.

EEC- and ADULT-associated TP63 mutations exhibit functional heterogeneity toward P63 responsive sequences.

TP63 germ-line mutations are responsible for a group of human ectodermal dysplasia syndromes, underlining the key role of P63 in the development of ectoderm-derived tissues. Here, we report the identification of two TP63 alleles, G134V (p.Gly173Val) and insR155 (p.Thr193_Tyr194insArg), associated to ADULT and EEC syndromes, respectively. These alleles, along with previously identified G134D (p.Gly173Asp) and R204W (p.Arg243Trp), were functionally characterized in yeast, studied in a mammalian cell line and modeled based on the crystal structure of the P63 DNA-binding domain. Although the p.Arg243Trp mutant showed both complete loss of transactivation function and ability to interfere over wild-type P63, the impact of p.Gly173Asp, p.Gly173Val, and p.Thr193_Tyr194insArg varied depending on the response element (RE) tested. Interestingly, p.Gly173Asp and p.Gly173Val mutants were characterized by a severe defect in transactivation along with interfering ability on two DN-P63α-specific REs derived from genes closely related to the clinical manifestations of the TP63-associated syndromes, namely PERP and COL18A1. The modeling of the mutations supported the distinct functional effect of each mutant. The present results highlight the importance of integrating different functional endpoints that take in account the features of P63 proteins' target sequences to examine the impact of TP63 mutations and the associated clinical variability.

Sex dimorphism and cancer immunotherapy: May pregnancy solve the puzzle?

In the immunoncology era, growing evidence has shown a clear sex dimorphism in antitumor immune response with a potential impact on outcomes upon immunecheckpoint blockade (ICI) in patients with cancer. Sex dimorphism could affect tumor microenvironment composition and systemic anticancer immunity; however, the modifications induced by sex are heterogeneous. From a clinical perspective, six metanalyses have explored the role of sex in cancer patients receiving ICI with conflicting results. Environmental and reproductive factors may further jeopardize the sex-related heterogeneity in anticancer immune response. In particular, pregnancy is characterized by orchestrated changes in the immune system, some of which could be long lasting. A persistence of memory T-cells with a potential fetal-antigen specificity has been reported both in human and mice, suggesting that a previous pregnancy may positively impact cancer development or response to ICI, in case of fetal-antigen sharing from tumor cells. On the other hand, a previous pregnancy may also be associated with a regulatory memory characterized by increased tolerance and anergy towards cancer-fetal common antigens. Finally, fetal-maternal microchimerism could represent an additional source of chronic exposure to fetal antigens and may have important immunological implications on cancer development and ICI activity. So far, the role of pregnancy dimorphism (nulliparous vs parous) in women and the impact of pregnancy-related variables remain largely underexplored in cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the evidence regarding sex and pregnancy dimorphism in the context of immune response and anticancer immunotherapy and advocate the importance of analyzing pregnancy variables on ICIs clinical trials.

Oncogenic context shapes the fitness landscape of tumor suppression.

Tumors acquire alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in an adaptive walk through the fitness landscape of tumorigenesis. However, the interactions between oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that shape this landscape remain poorly resolved and cannot be revealed by human cancer genomics alone. Here, we use a multiplexed, autochthonous mouse platform to model and quantify the initiation and growth of more than one hundred genotypes of lung tumors across four oncogenic contexts: KRAS G12D, KRAS G12C, BRAF V600E, and EGFR L858R. We show that the fitness landscape is rugged-the effect of tumor suppressor inactivation often switches between beneficial and deleterious depending on the oncogenic context-and shows no evidence of diminishing-returns epistasis within variants of the same oncogene. These findings argue against a simple linear signaling relationship amongst these three oncogenes and imply a critical role for off-axis signaling in determining the fitness effects of inactivating tumor suppressors.

PTEN Loss Confers Resistance to Anti-PD-1 Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Increasing Tumor Infiltration of Regulatory T Cells.

Immunotherapy resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be mediated by an immunosuppressive microenvironment, which can be shaped by the mutational landscape of the tumor. Here, we observed genetic alterations in the PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and/or loss of PTEN expression in >25% of patients with NSCLC, with higher frequency in lung squamous carcinomas (LUSC). Patients with PTEN-low tumors had higher levels of PD-L1 and PD-L2 and showed worse progression-free survival when treated with immunotherapy. Development of a Pten-null LUSC mouse model revealed that tumors with PTEN loss were refractory to antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1), highly metastatic and fibrotic, and secreted TGFß/CXCL10 to promote conversion of CD4+ lymphocytes into regulatory T cells (Treg). Human and mouse PTEN-low tumors were enriched in Tregs and expressed higher levels of immunosuppressive genes. Importantly, treatment of mice bearing Pten-null tumors with TLR agonists and anti-TGFß antibody aimed to alter this immunosuppressive microenvironment and led to tumor rejection and immunologic memory in 100% of mice. These results demonstrate that lack of PTEN causes immunotherapy resistance in LUSCs by establishing an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that can be reversed therapeutically. SIGNIFICANCE: PTEN loss leads to the development of an immunosuppressive microenvironment in lung cancer that confers resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy, which can be overcome by targeting PTEN loss-mediated immunosuppression.

Tumor suppressor pathways shape EGFR-driven lung tumor progression and response to treatment.

In vivo modeling combined with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated somatic genome editing has contributed to elucidating the functional importance of specific genetic alterations in human tumors. Our recent work uncovered tumor suppressor pathways that affect EGFR-driven lung tumor growth and sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors and reflect the mutational landscape and treatment outcomes in the human disease.

Mutant p53K120R expression enables a partial capacity to modulate metabolism.

The TP53 tumor suppressor gene is one of the most studied gene in virtue of its ability to prevent cancer development by regulating apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, autophagy and senescence. Furthermore, the modulation of metabolism by P53 is fundamental for tumor suppressor activity. Studies in mouse models showed that mice carrying TP53 mutations affecting the acetylation in the DNA binding domain still retain the ability to transactivate genes involved in metabolism. Noteworthy, mice expressing the triple 3KR or the single K117R mutant do not show early on-set tumor development in contrast to TP53 -/- mice. Interestingly, the mouse K117R mutation corresponds to the human tumor-derived K120R modification, which abrogates P53-dependent activation of apoptosis without affecting growth arrest. In this study, we investigated the property of the human P53 K120R mutant in the regulation of metabolism by analyzing the transcriptional specificity in yeast- and mammalian-based reporter assays, the metabolic phenotype associated to its expression in colon cancer HCT116 TP53-/- cells and the induction of P53 targets and proteins involved in the antioxidant response. These properties were analyzed in comparison to wild type P53 protein, the human triple mutant corresponding to mouse 3KR and the cancer hot-spot R273H mutant. We confirm the selective functionality of P53 K120R mutant, which shows a transcriptional activity on cell cycle arrest but not on apoptotic targets. Interestingly, this mutant shows a partial transactivation activity on p53 response element belonging to the metabolic target TIGAR. Moreover, we observe a significant uncoupling between oxygen consumption and ATP production associated with higher lipid peroxidation level in all P53 mutants carrying cells with respect to wild type P53 expressing cells. Noteworthy, in the absence of a pro-oxidative challenge, cells expressing K120R mutant retain a partial capacity to modulate glucose metabolism, limiting lipid peroxidation with respect to the other P53 mutants carrying cells. Lastly, especially in presence of human 3KR mutant, a high expression of proteins involved in the antioxidant response is found. However, this response does not avoid the increased lipid peroxidation, confirming that only wild type P53 is able to completely counteract the oxidative stress and relative damages.

Preclinical Models for the Study of Lung Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy Development.

Experimental preclinical models have been a cornerstone of lung cancer translational research. Work in these model systems has provided insights into the biology of lung cancer subtypes and their origins, contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie tumor progression, and revealed new therapeutic vulnerabilities. Initially patient-derived lung cancer cell lines were the main preclinical models available. The landscape is very different now with numerous preclinical models for research each with unique characteristics. These include genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and three-dimensional culture systems ("organoid" cultures). Here we review the development and applications of these models and describe their contributions to lung cancer research.

Genetic Determinants of EGFR-Driven Lung Cancer Growth and Therapeutic Response In Vivo.

In lung adenocarcinoma, oncogenic EGFR mutations co-occur with many tumor suppressor gene alterations; however, the extent to which these contribute to tumor growth and response to therapy in vivo remains largely unknown. By quantifying the effects of inactivating 10 putative tumor suppressor genes in a mouse model of EGFR-driven Trp53-deficient lung adenocarcinoma, we found that Apc, Rb1, or Rbm10 inactivation strongly promoted tumor growth. Unexpectedly, inactivation of Lkb1 or Setd2-the strongest drivers of growth in a KRAS-driven model-reduced EGFR-driven tumor growth. These results are consistent with mutational frequencies in human EGFR- and KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, KEAP1 inactivation reduced the sensitivity of EGFR-driven tumors to the EGFR inhibitor osimertinib, and mutations in genes in the KEAP1 pathway were associated with decreased time on tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment in patients. Our study highlights how the impact of genetic alterations differs across oncogenic contexts and that the fitness landscape shifts upon treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: By modeling complex genotypes in vivo, this study reveals key tumor suppressors that constrain the growth of EGFR-mutant tumors. Furthermore, we uncovered that KEAP1 inactivation reduces the sensitivity of these tumors to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Thus, our approach identifies genotypes of biological and therapeutic importance in this disease.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1601.

PRIMA-1 cytotoxicity correlates with nucleolar localization and degradation of mutant p53 in breast cancer cells.

PRIMA-1 has been identified as a compound that restores the transactivation function to mutant p53 and induces apoptosis in cells expressing mutant p53. Studies on subcellular distribution of the mutant p53 protein upon treatment with PRIMA-1Met, a methylated form of PRIMA-1, have suggested that redistribution of mutant p53 to nucleoli may play a role in PRIMA-1 induced apoptosis. Here, we specifically investigated the influence of PRIMA-1 on cellular localization of mutated p53-R280K endogenously expressed in tumour cells. By using immunofluorescence staining, we found a strong nucleolar redistribution of mutant p53 following PRIMA-1 treatment. This subcellular localization was associated to p53 degradation via ubiquitylation. When cells were treated with adriamycin, neither nucleolar redistribution nor mutant p53 down modulation and degradation were observed. Interestingly, cells where p53-R280K was silenced were more sensitive to PRIMA-1 than the parental ones. These results indicate that in some cellular context, the cell sensitivity to PRIMA-1 could depend on the abolition of a gain-of-function activity of the mutated p53, through a protein degradation pathway specifically induced by this compound.

Autophagy induced by SAHA affects mutant P53 degradation and cancer cell survival.

Missense mutations in the TP53 gene produce mutant p53 (mutp53) proteins which may acquire oncogenic properties favoring chemoresistance, cell migration, and metastasis. The exploitation of cellular pathways that promote mutp53 degradation may reduce cell proliferation and invasion as well as increase the sensitivity to anticancer drugs, with a strong impact on current cancer therapies. In the last years, several molecules have been characterized for their ability to induce the degradation of mutp53 through the activation of autophagy. Here, we investigated the correlation between autophagy and mutp53 degradation induced by suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), an FDA-approved histone deacetylase inhibitor. In the human cancer lines MDA-MB-231 (mutp53-R280K) and DLD1 (mutp53-S241F), SAHA induced a significant mutp53 degradation. However, such degradation correlated with autophagy induction only in MDA-MB-231 cells, being counteracted by autophagy inhibition, which also increased SAHA-induced cell death. Conversely, in DLD1 cells SAHA triggered a low level of autophagy despite promoting a strong decrease in mutp53 level, and autophagy inhibition did not change either mutp53 levels or sensitivity to this drug. We conclude that autophagy can be a relevant pathway for mutp53 degradation induced by SAHA, but its contribution to mutp53 destabilization and the consequences on cell death are likely context-dependent.

P63 modulates the expression of the WDFY2 gene which is implicated in cancer regulation and limb development.

TP63 is a member of the TP53 gene family, sharing a common gene structure that produces two groups of mRNAs' encoding proteins with different N-terminal regions (ΔN and TA isoforms); both transcripts are also subjected to alternative splicing mechanisms at C-terminus, generating a variety of isoforms. p63 is a master regulator of epidermal development and homoeostasis as well as an important player in tumorigenesis and cancer progression with both oncogenic and tumour suppressive roles. A number of studies have aimed at the identification of p63 target genes, allowing the dissection of the molecular pathways orchestrated by the different isoforms. In the present study we investigated in more detail the p63 responsiveness of the WDFY2 (WD repeat and FYVE domain containing 2) gene, encoding for an endosomal protein identified as a binding partner of the PI-3K/AKT signalling pathway. We showed that overexpression of different p63 isoforms was able to induce WDFY2 expression in TP53-null cells. The p63-dependent transcriptional activation was associated with specific response elements (REs) that have been identified by a bioinformatics tool and validated by yeast- and mammal-based assays. Interestingly, to confirm that WDFY2 belongs to the p63 network of cancer regulation, we analysed the impact of WDFY2 alterations, by showing its frequent deletion in different types of tumours and suggesting its expression level as a prognostic biomarker. Lastly, we identified a chromosomal translocation involving the WDFY2 locus in a patient affected by a rare congenital limb anomaly, indicating WDFY2 as a possible susceptibility gene placed downstream p63 in the network of limb development.

Etoposide-resistance in a neuroblastoma model cell line is associated with 13q14.3 mono-allelic deletion and miRNA-15a/16-1 down-regulation.

Drug resistance is the major obstacle in successfully treating high-risk neuroblastoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the basis of etoposide-resistance in neuroblastoma. To this end, a MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell line (HTLA-230) was treated with increasing etoposide concentrations and an etoposide-resistant cell line (HTLA-ER) was obtained. HTLA-ER cells, following etoposide exposure, evaded apoptosis by altering Bax/Bcl2 ratio. While both cell populations shared a homozygous TP53 mutation encoding a partially-functioning protein, a mono-allelic deletion of 13q14.3 locus, where the P53 inducible miRNAs 15a/16-1 are located, and the consequent miRNA down-regulation were detected only in HTLA-ER cells. This event correlated with BMI-1 oncoprotein up-regulation which caused a decrease in p16 tumor suppressor content and a metabolic adaptation of HTLA-ER cells. These results, taken collectively, highlight the role of miRNAs 15a/16-1 as markers of chemoresistance.

TP63 mutations are frequent in cutaneous melanoma, support UV etiology, but their role in melanomagenesis is unclear.

In contrast to TP53, cancer development is rarely associated with mutations in the TP63 and TP73 genes. Recently, next generation sequencing analysis revealed that TP63 mutations are frequent, specifically in cutaneous melanomas. Cutaneous melanoma represents 4% of skin cancers but it is responsible for 80% of skin cancer related deaths. In the present study, we first determined whether all three members of the P53 family of transcription factors were found mutated in cutaneous melanomas by retrieving all TP53, TP63 and TP73 mutations from cBioPortal (http://www.cbioportal.org/). TP53 and TP63 were frequently mutated [15.0% (91/605) and 14.7% (89/605), respectively], while TP73 [1.5% (9/605)] was more rarely mutated (p<0.0001). A UV-mutation fingerprint was recognized for TP63 and TP73 genes. Then, we tried to evaluate the potential role of TP63 mutations as drivers or passengers in the tumorigenic process. In the former case, the amino acid substitutions should cause significant functional consequences on the main biochemical activity of the P63 protein, namely transactivation. The predicted effects of specific amino acid substitutions by two bioinformatics tools were rather different. Using a yeast-based functional assay, the observed hotspot mutant R379CP63 protein exhibited a substantial residual activity compared to the wild-type (>70%). This result does not support a major role of the mutant P63 protein in melanomagenesis while it is still consistent with the TP63 gene being a recorder of UV exposure. The TP63 mutation spectrum from cutaneous melanomas, when compared with that observed at the germinal level in patients affected by P63-associated diseases [ectodermal dysplasia syndromes, (EDs)], revealed significant differences. The TP63 mutations were more frequent at CpGs sites (p<0.0001) in EDs and at PyPy sites (p<0.0001) in cutaneous melanomas. The two spectra differed significantly (p<0.0001). We conclude that TP63 mutations are frequent in cutaneous melanoma, support UV etiology, but their role in melanomagenesis is unclear.