Paola Tucci

Senescence and aging: the critical roles of p53

p53 functions as a transcription factor involved in cell-cycle control, DNA repair, apoptosis and cellular stress responses. However, besides inducing cell growth arrest and apoptosis, p53 activation also modulates cellular senescence and organismal aging. Senescence is an irreversible cell-cycle arrest that has a crucial role both in aging and as a robust physiological antitumor response, which counteracts oncogenic insults. Therefore, via the regulation of senescence, p53 contributes to tumor growth suppression, in a manner strictly dependent by its expression and cellular context. In this review, we focus on the recent advances on the contribution of p53 to cellular senescence and its implication for cancer therapy, and we will discuss p53’s impact on animal lifespan. Moreover, we describe p53-mediated regulation of several physiological pathways that could mediate its role in both senescence and aging.

Loss of p63 and its microRNA-205 target results in enhanced cell migration and metastasis in prostate cancer.

p63 inhibits metastasis. Here, we show that p63 (both TAp63 and ΔNp63 isoforms) regulates expression of miR-205 in prostate cancer (PCa) cells, and miR-205 is essential for the inhibitory effects of p63 on markers of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), such as ZEB1 and vimentin. Correspondingly, the inhibitory effect of p63 on EMT markers and cell migration is reverted by anti–miR-205. p53 mutants inhibit expression of both p63 and miR-205, and the cell migration, in a cell line expressing endogenous mutated p53, can be abrogated by pre–miR-205 or silencing of mutated p53. In accordance with this in vitro data, ΔNp63 or miR-205 significantly inhibits the incidence of lung metastasis in vivo in a mouse tail vein model. Similarly, one or both components of the p63/miR-205 axis were absent in metastases or colonized lymph nodes in a set of 218 human prostate cancer samples. This was confirmed in an independent clinical data set of 281 patients. Loss of this axis was associated with higher Gleason scores, an increased likelihood of metastatic and infiltration events, and worse prognosis. These data suggest that p63/miR-205 may be a useful clinical predictor of metastatic behavior in prostate cancer.

microRNA-34a regulates neurite outgrowth, spinal morphology, and function

The p53 family member TAp73 is a transcription factor that plays a key role in many biological processes, including neuronal development. In particular, we have shown that p73 drives the expression of miR-34a, but not miR-34b and c, in mouse cortical neurons. miR-34a in turn modulates the expression of synaptic targets including synaptotagmin-1 and syntaxin-1A. Here we show that this axis is retained in mouse ES cells committed to differentiate toward a neurological phenotype. Moreover, overexpression of miR-34a alters hippocampal spinal morphology, and results in electrophysiological changes consistent with a reduction in spinal function. Therefore, the TAp73/miR-34a axis has functional relevance in primary neurons. These data reinforce a role for miR-34a in neuronal development.

Neuronal differentiation by TAp73 is mediated by microRNA-34a regulation of synaptic protein targets

The p53-family member TAp73 is a transcription factor that plays a key role in many biological processes. Here, we show that p73 drives the expression of microRNA (miR)-34a, but not miR-34b and -c, by acting on specific binding sites on the miR-34a promoter. Expression of miR-34a is modulated in parallel with that of TAp73 during in vitro differentiation of neuroblastoma cells and cortical neurons. Retinoid-driven neuroblastoma differentiation is inhibited by knockdown of either p73 or miR-34a. Transcript expression of miR-34a is significantly reduced in vivo both in the cortex and hippocampus of p73−/− mice; miR-34a and TAp73 expression also increase during postnatal development of the brain and cerebellum when synaptogenesis occurs. Accordingly, overexpression or silencing of miR-34a inversely modulates expression of synaptic targets, including synaptotagmin-1 and syntaxin-1A. Notably, the axis TAp73/miR-34a/synaptotagmin-1 is conserved in brains from Alzheimers patients. These data reinforce a role for TAp73 in neuronal development.

miR-7 and miR-214 are specifically expressed during neuroblastoma differentiation, cortical development and embryonic stem cells differentiation, and control neurite outgrowth in vitro

The mammalian nervous system exerts essential control on many physiological processes in the organism and is itself controlled extensively by a variety of genetic regulatory mechanisms. microRNA (miR), an abundant class of small non-coding RNA, are emerging as important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in the brain. Increasing evidence indicates that miR regulate both the development and function of the nervous system. Moreover, deficiency in miR function has also been implicated in a number of neurological disorders. Expression profile analysis of miR is necessary to understand their complex role in the regulation of gene expression during the development and differentiation of cells. Here we present a comparative study of miR expression profiles in neuroblastoma, in cortical development, and in neuronal differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells. By microarray profiling in combination with real time PCR we show that miR-7 and miR-214 are modulated in neuronal differentiation (as compared to miR-1, -16 and -133a), and control neurite outgrowth in vitro. These findings provide an important step toward further elucidation of miR function and miR-related gene regulatory networks in the mammalian central nervous system.

Metabolic effects of TiO2 nanoparticles, a common component of sunscreens and cosmetics, on human keratinocytes

The long-term health risks of nanoparticles remain poorly understood, which is a serious concern given their prevalence in the environment from increased industrial and domestic use. The extent to which such compounds contribute to cellular toxicity is unclear, and although it is known that induction of oxidative stress pathways is associated with this process, the proteins and the metabolic pathways involved with nanoparticle-mediated oxidative stress and toxicity are largely unknown. To investigate this problem further, the effect of TiO2 on the HaCaT human keratinocyte cell line was examined. The data show that although TiO2 does not affect cell cycle phase distribution, nor cell death, these nanoparticles have a considerable and rapid effect on mitochondrial function. Metabolic analysis was performed to identify 268 metabolites of the specific pathways involved and 85 biochemical metabolites were found to be significantly altered, many of which are known to be associated with the cellular stress response. Importantly, the uptake of nanoparticles into the cultured cells was restricted to phagosomes, TiO2 nanoparticles did not enter into the nucleus or any other cytoplasmic organelle. No other morphological changes were detected after 24-h exposure consistent with a specific role of mitochondria in this response.

Differential control of TAp73 and ΔNp73 protein stability by the ring finger ubiquitin ligase PIR2

p73 is a p53-related transcription factor with fundamental roles in development and tumor suppression. Transcription from two different promoters on the p73 gene results in generation of transcriptionally active TAp73 isoforms and dominant negative ΔNp73 isoforms with opposing pro- and anti-apoptotic functions. Therefore, the relative ratio of each isoform is an important determinant of the cell fate. Proteasomal degradation of p73 is mediated by polyubiquitination-dependent and -independent processes both of which appear, thus far, to lack selectivity for the TAp73 and ΔNp73 isoforms. Here, we describe the characterization of another transcriptional target of TAp73; a ring finger domain ubiquitin ligase p73 Induced RING 2 protein (PIR2). Although PIR2 was initially identified a p53-induced gene (p53RFP), low abundance of PIR2 transcript in mouse embryonic fibroblasts of TAp73 KO mice compared with WT mice and comparison of PIR2 mRNA and protein levels following TAp73 or p53 overexpression substantiate TAp73 isoforms as strong inducers of PIR2. Although PIR2 expression was induced by DNA damage, its expression did not alter apoptotic response or cell cycle profile per se. However, coexpression of PIR2 with TAp73 or ΔNp73 resulted in an increase of the TA/ΔNp73 ratio, due to preferential degradation of ΔNp73. Finally, PIR2 was able to relieve the inhibitory effect of ΔNp73 on TAp73 induced apoptosis following DNA damage. These results suggest that PIR2, by being induced by TAp73 and degrading ΔNp73, differentially regulates TAp73/ΔNp73 stability, and, hence, it may offer a therapeutic approach to enhance the chemosensitivity of tumor cells.

p73 regulates serine biosynthesis in cancer

Activation of serine biosynthesis supports growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Human cancers often exhibit overexpression of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), the metabolic enzyme that catalyses the reaction that diverts serine biosynthesis from the glycolytic pathway. By refueling serine biosynthetic pathways, cancer cells sustain their metabolic requirements, promoting macromolecule synthesis, anaplerotic flux and ATP. Serine biosynthesis intersects glutaminolysis and together with this pathway provides substrates for production of antioxidant GSH. In human lung adenocarcinomas we identified a correlation between serine biosynthetic pathway and p73 expression. Metabolic profiling of human cancer cell line revealed that TAp73 activates serine biosynthesis, resulting in increased intracellular levels of serine and glycine, associated to accumulation of glutamate, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) anaplerotic intermediates and GSH. However, at molecular level p73 does not directly regulate serine metabolic enzymes, but transcriptionally controls a key enzyme of glutaminolysis, glutaminase-2 (GLS-2). p73, through GLS-2, favors conversion of glutamine in glutamate, which in turn drives the serine biosynthetic pathway. Serine and glutamate can be then employed for GSH synthesis, thus the p73-dependent metabolic switch enables potential response against oxidative stress. In knockdown experiment, indeed, TAp73 depletion completely abrogates cancer cell proliferation capacity in serine/glycine-deprivation, supporting the role of p73 to help cancer cells under metabolic stress. These findings implicate p73 in regulation of cancer metabolism and suggest that TAp73 influences glutamine and serine metabolism, affecting GSH synthesis and determining cancer pathogenesis.

p73 regulates maintenance of neural stem cell

Research highlights ► TAp73 is expressed in neural stem cells and its expression increases following their differentiation. ► Neural stem cells from p73 null mice have a reduced proliferative potential. ► p73-deficient neural stem cells show reduced expression of members of the Sox-2 and Notch gene families. ► Neurogenic areas are reduced in the brains of embryonic and adult p73−/− mice.

p73: A Multifunctional Protein in Neurobiology

Abstractp73, a transcription factor of the p53 family, plays a key role in many biological processes including neuronal development. Indeed, mice deficient for both TAp73 and ΔNp73 isoforms display neuronal pathologies, including hydrocephalus and hippocampal dysgenesis, with defects in the CA1-CA3 pyramidal cell layers and the dentate gyrus. TAp73 expression increases in parallel with neuronal differentiation and its ectopic expression induces neurite outgrowth and expression of neuronal markers in neuroblastoma cell lines and neural stem cells, suggesting that it has a pro-differentiation role. In contrast, ΔNp73 shows a survival function in mature cortical neurons as selective ΔNp73 null mice have reduced cortical thickness. Recent evidence has also suggested that p73 isoforms are deregulated in neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease, with abnormal tau phosphorylation. Thus, in addition to its increasingly accepted contribution to tumorigenesis, the p73 subfamily also plays a role in neuronal development and neurodegeneration.