Robin Fåhraeus

p53 stability and activity is regulated by Mdm2-mediated induction of alternative p53 translation products

Activation of the p53 tumour suppressor protein can lead to cell-cycle arrest or apoptosis. p53 function is controlled by the mdm2 oncogene product, which targets p53 for proteasomal degradation. In this report we demonstrate that Mdm2 induces translation of the p53 mRNA from two alternative initiation sites, giving full-length p53 and another protein with a relative molecular mass (Mr) of approximately 47K; we designate this protein as p53/47. This translation induction requires Mdm2 to interact directly with the nascent p53 polypeptide. The alternatively translated p53/47 does not contain the Mdm2-binding site and it lacks the most amino-terminal transcriptional-activation domain of p53. Increased expression of p53/47 stabilizes p53 in the presence of Mdm2, and alters the expression levels of p53-induced gene products. These results show how the interaction of Mdm2 with p53 leads to a change in the ratio of full-length p53 to p53/47 by inducing translation of both p53 proteins and the subsequent selective degradation of full-length p53. Thus, Mdm2 controls the expression levels of p53 through a dual mechanism that involves induction of synthesis and targeting for degradation.

Inhibition of pRb phosphorylation and cell-cycle progression by a 20-residue peptide from p16CDKN2/INK4A

Abstract Background: The CDKN2/INK4A tumour suppressor gene is deleted or mutated in a large number of human cancers. Overexpression of its product, p16, has been shown to block the transition through the G 1 /S phase of the cell cycle in a pRb-dependent fashion by inhibiting the cyclin D-dependent kinases cdk4 and cdk6. Reconstitution of p16 function in transformed cells is therefore an attractive target for anti-cancer drug design. Results We have identified a 20-residue synthetic peptide — corresponding to amino acids 84–103 of p16 – that interacts with cdk4 and cdk6, and inhibits the in vitro phosphorylation of pRb mediated by cdk4–cyclin D1. The amino-acid residues of p16 important for its interaction with cdk4 and cdk6 and for the inhibition of pRb phosphorylation were defined by an alanine substitution series of peptides. In normal proliferating human HaCaT cells and in cells released from serum starvation, entry into S phase was blocked by the p16-derived peptide when it was coupled to a small peptide carrier molecule and applied directly to the tissue culture medium. This cell-cycle block was associated with an inhibition of pRb phosphorylation in vivo . Conclusion These results demonstrate that a p16-derived peptide can mediate three of the known functions of p16: firstly, it interacts with cdk4 and cdk6; secondly, it inhibits pRb phosphorylation in vitro and in vivo ; and thirdly, it blocks entry into S phase. The fact that one small synthetic peptide can enter the cells directly from the tissue culture medium to inhibit pRb phosphorylation and block cell-cycle progression makes this an attractive approach for future peptidometic drug design. Our results suggest a novel and exciting means by which the function of the p16 suppressor gene can be restored in human tumours.

Cell-cycle arrest and inhibition of Cdk4 activity by small peptides based on the carboxy-terminal domain of p21WAF1

BACKGROUND A common event in the development of human neoplasia is the inactivation of a damage-inducible cell-cycle checkpoint pathway regulated by p53. One approach to the restoration of this pathway is to mimic the activity of key downstream effectors. The cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21(WAF1) is one such molecule, as it is a major mediator of the p53-dependent growth-arrest pathway, and can, by itself, mediate growth suppression. The primary function of the p21(WAF1) protein appears to be the inhibition of G1 cyclin-Cdk complexes. Thus, if we can identify the region(s) of p21(WAF1) that contain its inhibitor activity they may provide a template from which to develop novel anti-proliferative drugs for use in tumours with a defective p53 pathway. RESULTS We report on the discovery of small synthetic peptides based on the sequence of p21(WAF1) that bind to and inhibit cyclin D1-Cdk4. The peptides and the full-length protein are inhibitory at similar concentrations. A 20 amino-acid peptide based on the carboxy-terminal domain of p21(WAF1) inhibits Cdk4 activity with a concentration for half-maximal inhibition (l0.5) of 46 nM, and it is only four-fold less active than the full-length protein. The length of the peptide has been minimized and key hydrophobic residues forming the inhibitory domain have been defined. When introduced into cells, both a 20 amino-acid and truncated eight amino-acid peptide blocked phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and induced a potent G1/S growth arrest. These data support a physiological role for the carboxyl terminus of p21(WAF1) in the inhibition of Cdk4 activity. CONCLUSIONS We have discovered that a small peptide is sufficient to mimic p21(WAF1) function and inhibit the activity of a critical G1 cyclin-Cdk complex, preventing pRb phosphorylation and producing a G1 cell-cycle arrest in tissue culture cell systems. This makes cyclin D1-Cdk4 a realistic and exciting target for the design of novel synthetic compounds that can act as anti-proliferative agents in human cells.

The p16INK4a tumour suppressor protein inhibits αvβ3 integrin‐mediated cell spreading on vitronectin by blocking PKC‐dependent localization of αvβ3 to focal contacts

Expression of full‐length p16INK4a blocks αvβ3 integrin‐dependent cell spreading on vitronectin but not collagen IV. Similarly, G1‐associated cell cycle kinases (CDK) inhibitory (CKI) synthetic peptides derived from p16INK4a, p18INK4c and p21Cip1/Waf1, which can be delivered directly into cells from the tissue culture medium, do not affect non‐αvβ3‐dependent spreading on collagen IV, laminin and fibronectin at concentrations that inhibit cell cycle progression in late G1. The αvβ3 heterodimer remains intact after CKI peptide treatment but is immediately dissociated from the focal adhesion contacts. Treatment with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) allows αvβ3 to locate to the focal adhesion contacts and the cells to spread on vitronectin in the presence of CKI peptides. The cdk6 protein is found to suppress p16INK4a‐mediated inhibition of spreading and is also shown to localize to the ruffling edge of spreading cells, indicating a function for cdk6 in controlling matrix‐dependent cell spreading. These results demonstrate a novel G1 CDK‐associated integrin regulatory pathway that acts upstream of αvβ3‐dependent activation of PKC as well as a novel function for the p16INK4a tumour suppressor protein in regulating matrix‐dependent cell migration.

Rapid induction of apoptosis mediated by peptides that bind initiation factor eIF4E

Overexpression of the translation initiation factor eIF4E leads to cell transformation and occurs in a number of human cancers [1]. mRNA translation and cell growth can be regulated through the availability of eIF4E to form initiation complexes by binding to eIF4G. The availability of eIF4E is blocked through the binding of members of a family of eIF4E-binding proteins (4E-BPs) [2] [3]. Indeed, cell transformation caused by the overexpression of eIF4E can be reversed by the overexpression of 4E-BPs [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]. To study the role of eIF4E in cell transformation, we developed a series of peptides based on the conserved eIF4E-binding motifs in 4E-BPs and eIF4G [9] linked to the penetratin peptide-carrier sequence, which mediates the rapid transport of peptides across cell membranes. Surprisingly, introduction of these eIF4E-binding peptides into MRC5 cells led to rapid, dose-dependent cell death, with characteristics of apoptosis. Single alanine substitutions at key positions in the peptides impair their binding to eIF4E and markedly reduce their ability to induce apoptosis. A triple alanine substitution, which abolishes binding to eIF4E, renders the peptide unable to induce apoptosis. Our data provide strong evidence that the peptides induce apoptosis through binding to eIF4E. They do not induce apoptosis through inhibition of protein synthesis, as chemical inhibitors of translation did not induce apoptosis or affect peptide-induced cell death. Thus these new data indicate that eIF4E has a direct role in controlling cell survival that is not linked to its known role in mRNA translation.

Characterization of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitory domain of the INK4 family as a model for a synthetic tumour suppressor molecule.

We have previously shown that a 20 amino acid peptide derived from the third ankyrin-like repeat of the p16CDKN2/INK4a (p16) tumour suppressor protein (residues 84 – 103 of the human p16 protein) can bind to cdk4 and cdk6 and inhibit cdk4-cyclin D1 kinase activity in vitro as well as block cell cycle progression through G1. Substitution of two valine residues corresponding to amino acids 95 and 96 (V95A and V96A) of the p16 peptide reduces the binding to cdk4 and cdk6 and increases its IC0.5 for kinase inhibition approximately threefold when linked to the Antennapedia homeodomain carrier sequence. The same mutations increase the IC0.5 approximately fivefold in the p16 protein. Substitution of aspartic acid 92 by alanine instead increases the binding of the peptide to cdk4 and cdk6 and the kinase inhibitory activity. The p16 peptide blocks S-phase entry in non-synchronized human HaCaT cells by approximately 90% at a 24 μM concentration. The V95A and V96A double substitution minimizes the cell cycle inhibitory capacity of the peptide whereas the D92A substitution increases its capacity to block cell cycle progression. A deletion series of the p16 derived peptide shows that a 10 residue peptide still retains cdk4-cyclin D1 kinase and cell cycle inhibitory activity. The p16 peptide inhibited S-phase entry in five cell lines tested, varying between 47 – 75%, but had only a limited (11%) inhibitory effect in the pRb negative Saos-2 cells at a concentration of 24 μM. Like the full length p16 protein, the p16 peptide does not inhibit cyclin E dependent cdk2 kinase activity in vitro. These data suggest that acute inhibition of CDK-cyclin D activity by a peptide derived from the INK4 family will stop cells in late G1 in a pRb dependent fashion.

New approaches to cancer therapies

Inactivation of the tumour suppressors p53 and p16INK4a or activating mutations in the ras oncogene are the most common genetic alterations found in human cancers. In this review, novel approaches designed to evaluate the effect of targeting intracellular molecules are described and it is shown how information derived from small synthetic peptides can stimulate novel approaches for cancer drugs. This review also gives an example of how molecular, biochemical, and cell biology studies of cancer‐associated gene products can, via organic chemistry, be translated into active drugs ready for testing in clinical trials. New cancer treatments are directly springing out of studies related to tumour physiology, where the prime target is not the tumour cells but the tumour blood vessels; some of the different approaches that are being tested will be highlighted here. Finally, some of the difficulties and promises using cancer‐associated genes in gene therapy are discussed. Copyright