|
Originally published In Press as doi:10.1074/jbc.M103088200 on May 11, 2001
J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 276, Issue 29, 27363-27370, July 20, 2001
Identification of a p53 Response Element in the
Promoter Region of the hMSH2 Gene Required for Expression
in A2780 Ovarian Cancer Cells*
C. Terry
Warnick ,
Bashar
Dabbas ,
Clyde D.
Ford§, and
Kevin
A.
Strait§¶
From the Departments of § Medicine and
Pathology, Cancer Research Laboratory, LDS Hospital, Salt
Lake City, Utah 84143
Received for publication, April 6, 2001, and in revised form, April 26, 2001
 |
ABSTRACT |
Defects in the human MSH2 mismatch
repair system have been implicated in cellular mutagenesis,
tumorigenesis, and chemotherapeutic resistance. The current
studies characterized the 5' upstream proximal promoter region of the
hMSH2 gene using transient transfection of A2780 ovarian
cancer cells. Serial deletions of a 1.88-kb fragment of the proximal
promoter region of the hMSH2 gene revealed that promoter
activity was restricted to the first 281 bp. Targeted deletions
within this 281 bp region coupled with specific sequence mutagenesis
identified a response element for the p53 tumor suppressor protein
located between 242 and 222 bp. The 242 hMSH2 p53 element is
configured as a direct tandem repeat palindrome with 80% homology to
the p53 consensus binding sequence. Co-transfection of an
hMSH2 reporter and p53 expression vector into the p53-null
cell line SK-OV-3 produced 10-fold enhanced transcription, which was
lost when the 242 to 222 p53 binding site was mutated. These
results clearly demonstrate the presence of a previously unidentified p53 response element in the hMSH2 proximal promoter. Its
location at 242 bp upstream of the start site of transcription is
distinct from two previously reported p53 sites at 447 and 416,
which transactivate in Saos-2 cells (Scherer, S. J., Maier,
S. M., Seifert, M., Hanselmann, R. G., Zang, K. D.,
Muller-Hermelink, H. K., Angel, P., Welter, C., and Schartl, M. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 37469-37473). Finally, in sharp contrast to their activity in Saos-2 cells, deletion of the 447 and 416 sites in A2780 cells had no effect on
hMSH2 promoter activity. Thus, it appears that p53
regulates hMSH2 expression through multiple cell
type-specific DNA response elements.
 |
INTRODUCTION |
In humans, the product of the MSH2 gene is a protein
belonging to the DNA mismatch repair
(MMR)1 system. The MMR
proteins play a critical role in maintaining the fidelity of the
cellular genome by correcting errors in base pairing introduced into
the newly synthesized "daughter strand," during DNA replication
(1). MMR proteins were first identified in Streptococcus
pneumoniae (2) and subsequently characterized in Escherichia
coli as the MutS, MutL, and MutH proteins (3). The hMSH2 protein
forms the core of the human homologue to the bacterial MutS protein via
dimerization with two other members of the MMR family, hMSH3 (4) and
hMSH6 (5). hMSH2 and hMSH6 dimers form the hMutS complex responsible
for the initial recognition and targeting of mismatched nucleotides
(1).
Defects in the hMSH2 gene have been implicated in the
genesis of a number of malignancies of the gastrointestinal,
gynecological, and genitourinary tracts (6). In the case of colorectal
cancers, hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome
has been shown to have greater than 90% germline mutation of the MMR genes, a large percentage of which are directly attributable to mutations of hMSH2 (7). In a majority of the other cancers associated
with MMR defects, mutations arise spontaneously in somatic cells, as is
the case in ovarian cancers where recent data indicate that defective
MMR proteins are present in ~20% of sporadic tumors (8).
The loss of MMR proteins in tumor cells is also associated with
resistance to certain DNA adduct-producing chemotherapeutic agents
exemplified by the platinum-based compound, cisplatin. It has been
suggested that the loss of MMR proteins in these cells leads to
chemotherapeutic resistance via an inability of the cell to link DNA
damage to an apoptotic signaling pathway. Support for a link between
the MMR system and chemotherapeutic-induced apoptosis comes from the
following. 1) The hMSH2 protein MutS complex is responsible for the
recognition and binding of cisplatin DNA-adducts (9), and 2)
reintroduction of the hMSH2 gene via chromosome transfer
into hMSH2-deficient cisplatin-resistant cells lines produces
chemotherapeutic re-sensitization (10). The current hypothesis is that
loss of MMR genes leads to diminished DNA repair, an increase in
resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, and a loss of apoptotic
signaling pathways, eventually leading to widespread genome instability
and ultimately mutations in other genes that are directly linked to tumorigenesis.
Like the MMR system, the p53 tumor suppressor protein also plays an
important role in maintaining the fidelity of the cellular genome. As
such, p53 mutations frequently occur in a number of cancers (11). In
ovarian cancers, more than 50% of advanced stage tumors show a loss of
p53 function (12). Whether this is a primary event in tumorigenesis or
secondary to instability in the cellular genome is an area of active
investigation. p53 has been shown to respond to a variety of mutagenic
factors such as chemotherapeutic agents, ionizing radiation, and
nucleotide depletion, all of which result in cellular injury via DNA
damage (13), as well as down-regulating the expression of a number of
cellular oncogenes (14). Though several mechanisms of action have been
proposed for the p53 protein, the most extensively studied is its
ability to regulate transcription of target genes through direct
binding to specific DNA sequences.
Because of its primary function as a DNA-binding transcription factor,
the p53 protein resides primarily within the nucleus of the cell.
Transcriptionally active DNA-bound p53 protein exists as a tetramer
(15). Tetramers of p53 occur via binding of two pairs of p53 dimers to
specific target sequences of DNA (p53 response elements) located in the
regulatory regions of genes. These p53 response elements generally
consist of two tandem repeats of a sequence homologous to the consensus
p53 binding sequence, 5'-PuPuPuC(A/T)(A/T)GPyPyPy-3' (16). p53
response elements have been characterized in several genes including
p21, GADD45, MDM2, and bax
(17), which are activated by p53 following cellular injury and, in
turn, lead to cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, or apoptosis.
Recent studies point to a cooperative interaction between p53 and the
MMR proteins with respect to activation of apoptosis after
exposure of cells to mutagenic agents (18). The point of overlap
between the p53 and MMR systems may be located in the hMSH2
gene promoter region, which has been recently cloned and sequenced (19,
20). Electromobility shift experiments have identified two putative p53
palindromic binding sequences located at 447 bp and 416 bp upstream
of the start site of transcription (20). In Saos-2 cells the p53
binding sites were capable of mediating p53 induction of the
hMSH2 promoter only in the presence of a co-activator such
as ionizing radiation or co-transfected c-Jun (21). The requirement for
additional transcription factors for activity may reside in the fact
that unlike the p53 consensus palindromic sequence that is arranged as
two direct tandem repeats, the 447 and 416 sites each comprise only
a single palindromic sequence and are separated by 23 bp. What affect
this spacing has on dimer/dimer formation of the p53 protein and the
ability of these sequences to function as a transcriptional activator in other cell types is presently unknown. Adding additional uncertainty to the role of p53 in hMSH2 expression is a report by
Iwahashi et al. (19) in which serial deletions of the
hMSH2 promoter region were transfected into NIH3T3 cells. In
NIH3T3 cells maximal transcriptional activity was present in as little
as 298 bp of the hMSH2 promoter. Thus, it would appear
that at least in NIH3T3 cells the p53 sites at 416 and 447 are not
required for transcriptional activity of the hMSH2 promoter.
Unfortunately, Iwashi et al. (19) did not further
characterize the hMSH2 proximal promoter region to determine
what elements were functionally active in the 298-bp region of the promoter.
Therefore, in the present series of studies we sought to clarify the
role of p53 in hMSH2 expression in ovarian cancer by rigorously characterizing the proximal promoter region of the hMSH2 gene.
We began our investigation with a series of 5' deletion mutants of the
hMSH2 promoter region utilizing transient transfection of
A2780 ovarian cancer cells. Our data indicate that similar to NIH3T3
cells, in A2780 cells deletion of the previously identified p53 binding
sequences at 447 and 416 had no effect on hMSH2 promoter
activity. However, a comprehensive mutational analysis of the
hMSH2 proximal promoter has identified a new p53 response element motif, located between 242 and 222 bp upstream of the start
site of transcription. This new p53 site ( 242 hMSH2) has an 80%
sequence homology to the tandem repeat p53 palindromic consensus
binding sequence. Co-transfection of the p53-null SK-OV-3 ovarian
cancer cell line with 281 hMSH2-pGL3 and a p53 expression construct
indicates that the 242 hMSH2 sequence is capable of functioning
as a p53 response element.
 |
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES |
Cell Culture--
Human ovarian cancer cell lines were obtained
from the European Collection of Cell Cultures (A2780) (ECACC;
Salisbury, UK) and the American Type Culture Collection (SK-OV-3; ATCC,
Manassas, VA). A2780 cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 and the SK-OV-3
cells in McCoy's 5A medium, both supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Cultures were periodically tested to ensure they remained free
of mycoplasm infection during the course of the experiments.
Preparation of Paraffin Cell Blocks--
A2780 cells in culture
were trypsinized and removed from the culture dishes upon dilution with
two volumes of medium + 10% fetal bovine serum. The resulting cell
suspension was centrifuged at 150 × g for 5 min and
the pellet was washed once in culture medium to remove the excess
trypsin and recentrifuged. The final pellet was then resuspended in
0.25 ml of medium. To this suspension 0.5 ml of human plasma was added
immediately followed by a similar volume of thromboplastin as
previously described (22). The mixture was agitated for 2 min until
coagulation occurred. At this point, 10 ml of 10% buffered-formalin
was added, and the coagulated cells gently rocked for 2 min. The
clotted sample of cells was then wrapped in "perm" paper, secured
in a cassette, placed in a VIP tissue processor (SAKURA), and allowed
to process overnight. The following day, the processed sample was
embedded in a paraffin block and 4-micron sections were cut and mounted
on slides.
Immunohistochemistry--
A2780 cells were immunostained for p53
and hMSH2 using an immunoperoxidase procedure as previously described
(23). Slides were stained using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP), LSAB2
System (DAKO). Briefly, mouse monoclonal antibodies against human p53 (DAKO) or hMSH2 (BD PharMingen) were used as the primary antibody. The
secondary antibody was a biotinylated goat anti-mouse (DAKO), which was
then followed by Streptavidin-HRP incubation. Finally, the samples were
counterstained with hematoxylin (DAKO), dehydrated, and mounted with coverslips.
hMSH2 Luciferase Reporter Constructs--
1880 bp of the
hMSH2 upstream/promoter region were amplified from human
genomic DNA by the polymerase chain reaction. A high fidelity
Taq DNA polymerase with proofreading capabilities (Platinum Taq, Life Technologies, Inc.) was utilized to minimize
potential PCR errors. hMSH2-specific oligomeric primers were
synthesized (Life Technologies, Inc.); a 3'-hMSH2 primer
5'-ATAT(AAGCTT)TGTCGAAACCTCCTCACCTCCTGG-3' and the
5'-hMSH2 primer
5'-ATAT(GCTAGC)GCGACCTCGGCTCACTGCAACCTC-3' using the
previously published sequence for the 5' upstream promoter region of
the hMSH2 gene (19). The underlined sequence in each primer corresponds to sequences derived from the 3'- and 5'-ends of the
hMSH2 promoter region. For cloning purposes a
HindIII site was added to the 3'-hMSH2 primer and
an NheI site to the 5'-hMSH2 primer (shown in
parentheses). The 4-bp sequence ATAT was added immediately adjacent to
both restriction enzyme sites to aide in restriction enzyme digestion
of the final PCR product. The final PCR product was digested with
NheI/HindIII, gel-isolated, and subcloned into
the multiple cloning site of the pGL3-Basic Vector (Promega)
immediately upstream of the luciferase reporter gene. The
hMSH2 containing pGL3 constructs were sequenced on an ABI
3700 capillary sequencer to ensure authenticity.
Deletion Constructs--
Serial deletions of the 5'-end of the
1880-bp hMSH2 promoter region were generated in separate
reactions using the following restriction enzymes to shorten the 5'-end
of the promoter: SmaI ( 952 bp), SacI ( 281
bp), SphI ( 225 bp), and SacII ( 157 bp) (Fig.
2A). Following restriction enzyme digestion of the 1880 bp
hMSH2-pGL3 vector with the enzymes above, the ends were polished blunt
using T4 polymerase, and the fragments (sizes shown in parentheses next
to the restriction enzymes above), excised by digestion of their
3'-ends with HindIII. The 5'-shortened fragments were
subsequently gel-isolated, and re-ligated into the
SmaI/HindIII sites of the pGL3 Basic Vector.
p53 Response Element Mutation--
Mutation of the p53 site in
the hMSH2 proximal promoter region was accomplished using
the QuickChange Mutagenesis Kit (Stratagene). Complementary 45-mer
primers were synthesized, containing a 15-bp mutant p53 sequence
flanked by 15 bp of wild-type sequence on either side of the p53 site
of the hMSH2 upstream promoter region. The sequence in bold
type from the hMSH2 p53 response element ( 242 to
222) 5'-GACCTAGGCGCAGGCATGCGC-3' containing both of the
palindromic core binding elements was replaced with the 15-bp
EcoRI linker sequence 5'-ATAAGAATTCCATAA-3' to
generate a p53 mutant, 281(mut) hMSH2-pGL3, construct.
Transient Transfection Assays--
DNA constructs were
transiently transfected into cells using LipofectAMINE Plus Reagent
(Life Technologies, Inc.). Twenty-four hours prior to transfection,
cells were subcultured onto 60-mm plates so that they would be at
50-60% confluence the following day. Transfections were optimized for
the amounts of DNA, PLUS reagent, and LipofectAMINE per 60-mm culture
dish as follows: 0.6 µg of hMSH2-pGL3 construct, 0.1 µg of pRL-TK
vector (Promega), 2.4 µl of PLUS Reagent, and 3.6 µl of
LipofectAMINE reagent. The above reagents and DNA constructs were mixed
and incubated with the cells overnight (18 h) according to the
manufacturer's protocol. The following day, the culture medium was
replaced, and the cells were placed back into a 37 °C, 95%
O2, 5% CO2 incubator for an additional 24 h.
Luciferase Assay--
Cells were harvested from the plates,
following a single wash of phosphate-buffered saline to remove residual
medium in 400 µl/plate of Passive Lysis Buffer (Promega) by scraping.
Cell lysates were frozen at 20 °C to ensure complete lysis of the
cells. Luciferase activity in the cell lysates was determined using the
Dual-Luciferase reporter assay system (Promega) to allow sequential
determination in the same sample of both the firefly luciferase
activity from the hMSH2 constructs and the transfection efficiency from
the Renilla luciferase activity, the pRL-TK vector. All
assays were carried out in a single sample luminometer (DIGENE
Diagnostics) model DRC-1. All reported firefly luciferase values were
normalized for transfection efficiency using the pRL-TK,
Renilla luciferase value. Statistically significant
differences in promoter activity of the various hMSH2-pGL3 constructs
were determined by analysis of variance.
 |
RESULTS |
Prior to initiating transient transfection studies of the
hMSH2 promoter region, we first sought to identify a
suitable ovarian cancer cell line that expressed both the
hMSH2 and p53 genes. We examined the distribution
of the p53 and hMSH2 mismatch repair proteins in the ovarian cell line,
A2780 (Fig. 1). The photomicrographs show
the immunohistochemical staining of A2780 cells for p53 (A) and hMSH2 (B) proteins. Consistent with reports in the
literature that A2780 cells contain the wild-type p53 gene
and express the p53 protein (24), we demonstrated positive
immunostaining for p53 protein in ~25-30% of the cells (Fig.
1A). Staining was localized to the nuclei, consistent with
the role of p53 as a DNA-binding transcription factor. Similar
immunostaining for hMSH2 occurred in roughly 80% of the cells with the
stain once again confined primarily to the nucleus (Fig.
1B). Finally, as a control, A2780 cells were immunostained
for another member of the MMR system, hMLH1. Staining for hMLH1
resulted in intense nuclear staining in greater than 99% of the A2780
cells (data not shown). Therefore, the lack of p53 and hMSH2 staining
of a portion of the cells present on each slide was not caused from an
artifact of the tissue preparation or staining procedure, but more
likely the result of differences in the expression of these genes at
various points in the cell cycle.

View larger version (107K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Fig. 1.
Immunohistochemical localization of hp53 and
hMSH2 protein in A2780 cells. A2780 cells were harvested,
fixed in 10% formalin, embedded into paraffin blocks, sectioned, and
immunostained as described under "Experimental Procedures." Serial,
4-micron sections were cut and stained to allow co-localization of
immunoreactivity: p53 (A) and hMSH2 (B). Cells
were counterstained with hematoxylin to aide in visualization.
|
|
Having established that the A2780 cell line is capable of expressing
both the p53 and hMSH2 genes, we turned our
attention to investigating the regulation of the hMSH2 promoter region. Analysis of the hMSH2 proximal promoter region began with a
PCR-based isolation of the hMSH2 5' flanking sequence.
Cloning the 5' upstream proximal promoter region of the
hMSH2 gene was accomplished using specific primers based on
the published sequence (19), as described in detail under
"Experimental Procedures." This cloning exercise resulted in the
isolation of the transcription initiation site for the hMSH2
gene along with 1.88 kb of the 5' upsteam promoter sequence. A series
of 5' deletion mutants of the 1.88-kb hMSH2 promoter
fragment were generated (Fig.
2A) for transfection into A2780 cells in order to characterize the hMSH2 proximal
promoter through identification of DNA response elements (Fig.
2B). Transfection of the full 1.88-kb hMSH2
promoter fragment contained within the pGL3 luciferase reporter vector
produced luciferase expression significantly higher (p < 0.01) than that seen with the pGL3 luciferase vector alone (Fig.
2B). Deletion of the hMSH2 proximal promoter to
951 bp produced no significant change in promoter activity from that
seen with the full-length 1.88-kb construct. Further deletion down to
281 bp produced a significant (p < 0.05) 2.5-fold rise in promoter activity compared with the 1.88-kb or 951-bp fragments (Fig. 2B). Finally, deletion to 157 bp of the
hMSH2 promoter resulted in a significant (p < 0.01) 95% reduction in promoter activity to levels one-twentieth of
those seen with the 281 hMSH2 fragment. Though drastically reduced
from the activity seen in the other constructs, the 157 hMSH2
fragment still retained significant (p < 0.05)
promoter activity (3.5-fold) when compared with the empty pGL3 vector.
Therefore, for the purposes of these studies, the low levels of
promoter activity inherent in the 157 hMSH2 fragment served as our
minimal (basal) promoter. Of note, the anticipated fall in promoter
activity upon deletion of the previously identified p53 sites at 447
and 416 (20) in the 281 hMSH2 construct was not observed. Thus, it
appears that the p53 sites previously identified in Saos-2 cells are
either masked or non-functional in A2780 ovarian cancer cells.

View larger version (10K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Fig. 2.
Deletion analysis of the hMSH2
proximal promoter. A, schematic map of the 5'
upstream promoter region of the hMSH2 gene. The restriction
enzymes used to make the 5' deletions and the cut sites relative to the
start site of translation are indicted. Restriction enzyme sites in
braces were introduced to the ends of the 1880-bp PCR
product for cloning purposes. B, A2780 cells were
transiently transfected with a series of 5' deletion mutants of a
1880-bp fragment of the MSH2 promoter region inserted into
the pGL3-Basic luciferase reporter vector. Schematic representations of
the various deletion constructs are shown on the left.
Relative transcriptional activity of each construct is shown in the
graph to the right. The empty pGL3-Basic vector was
transfected as a negative transcriptional control. Data are expressed
as relative luciferase activity. The results are the mean ± S.E.
of two independent experiments, four plates transfected for each
construct (n = 8).
|
|
From the data presented in Fig. 2, enhanced transcriptional activity
was confined to a region of the hMSH2 promoter between 281
and 157 bp upstream of the start site of transcription. Analysis of
this 124-bp region for potential enhancer elements yielded several
candidate sequences, the majority of which had previously been
identified (19, 20) with one notable exception. Our analysis identified
a potential enhancer sequence that had not been previously reported; a
sequence ( 242 to 222 bp) with 80% homology to the p53 consensus
sequence (Fig. 3). The hMSH2 promoter sequence between 242 and 222 bp ( 242 hMSH2) contains two
tandem repeats of the core palindromic p53 binding site, flanked by
purines and pyrimidines. As indicated in the figure, the minor variations from the ideal consensus p53 sequence occur in the much less
conserved flanking purines and pyrimidines, with the two core p53
binding palindromic sequences showing perfect homology to the p53
consensus (C(A/T(A/T)G). Finally, in addition to the minor variations
in the flanking purines and pyrimidines, the 242 hMSH2 p53 site has
an additional cytosine residue (indicated by an asterisk),
separating the two palindromic repeats.

View larger version (6K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Fig. 3.
Homology between the p53 consensus sequence
and hMSH2 242 to 222. Top, the
sequence of the consensus binding site for p53; bottom,
hMSH2 sequence ( 242 to 222 bp). R, purines;
Y, pyrimidines; and W, A or T. The
asterisk indicates the presence of an additional cytosine
base in the hMSH2 sequence, separating the two palindromic decamers. In
the hMSH2 sequence, uppercase letters indicate a
homologous base whereas lowercase letters indicate a
divergence from the ideal consensus sequence. Bold letters
indicate the positions of the core palindromic p53 binding sites within
each decamer.
|
|
To test whether the 242 hMSH2 sequence might function as a p53
response element in A2780 cells, we generated a construct ( 225 hMSH2)
that deletes the 242 hMSH2 p53 binding sites (Fig. 4). Deletion of the hMSH2
promoter to 225 bp in A2780 transfection assays resulted in a
significant (p < 0.01) 95% loss of promoter activity.
In fact, the activity of the 225 hMSH2 was statistically indistinguishable from the level seen with the minimal 157 bp hMSH2
promoter (Fig. 4). Thus, the 56-bp sequence between 281 and 225
contains an enhancer element that is required for stimulation of
hMSH2 promoter activity in A2780 ovarian cancer cells above that seen with the minimal 157-bp promoter.

View larger version (7K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Fig. 4.
Deletion of a region within the
hMSH2 promoter containing the 242 to 222 bp
sequence. A2780 cells were transiently transfected with a series
of 5' deletion mutants of the hMSH2 promoter to examine the
effects of the loss of a region containing a sequence homologous to the
consensus p53 binding site ( 225 hMSH2-pGL3). Schematic
representations of the constructs are shown at left. The
data are expressed as relative luciferase activity. Data are the
mean ± S.E. of two independent transfection experiments of four
plates each (n = 8).
|
|
Whereas the loss of promoter activity in the 225 hMSH2 deletion
construct is consistent with the loss of p53 binding to the 242 hMSH2
site. The above deletion encompassed a fragment larger than just the
242- to 222-bp p53 binding site. Therefore, we cannot exclude the
possibility of an unknown enhancer element located within this same
56-bp region. In an attempt to produce a more restricted mutation of
the 242 hMSH2 site, we generated a site-specific mutation within the
281 hMSH2 promoter, specifically targeted at the 242 to 222-bp
p53 site. The mutated construct ( 281(mut)) contained the 15-bp
EcoRI linker sequence 5'-ATAAGAATTCCATAA-3' in place of the
wild type p53 palindromic binding sites 5'-CTAGGCGCAGGCATG-3' (bases;
239 to 225) in the 281 hMSH2 reporter construct. Both the
281(wt) and 281(mut) constructs were subsequently transfected into
A2780 cells (Fig. 5). As previously
observed, the 281(wt) construct showed enhanced hMSH2
promoter activity 35-40 times that seen with the minimal 157-bp
hMSH2 fragment. Mutating the 15-bp palindromic p53 binding sequence
within the hMSH2 promoter ( 281(mut)) resulted in a 97%
reduction in promoter activity. Indeed, mutation of the 15-bp p53 site
within the 281 hMSH2 construct resulted in promoter activity
statistically indistinguishable from the minimal 157 hMSH2 construct.
This result is consistent with a loss of p53 binding to the 242- to
222-bp p53 site within the hMSH2 promoter and is similar
to the loss of activity seen with the 225 hMSH2 deletion construct
(Fig. 4).

View larger version (8K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Fig. 5.
Mutation of the p53 site ( 242 to 222)
within the hMSH2 promoter. A2780 cells were
transiently transfected with the following hMSH2 promoter
constructs: wild type, 5'-ctaggcgcaggcatg-3' ( 281(wt)
hMSH2-pGL3) or mutated containing a non-p53 binding EcoRI
linker sequence, 5'-ataagaattccataa-3' ( 281(mut) hMSH2-pGL3).
Schematic representations of the constructs are shown at
left. Data are expressed as relative luciferase activity.
Results represent the mean ± S.E. of two independent transfection
experiments of four plates each (n = 8).
|
|
Having identified the presence of a regulatory sequence within the
hMSH2 promoter region, with significant homology to the p53
consensus sequence we sought to establish that p53 was capable of
transactivating hMSH2 expression through this element. We
co-transfected SK-OV-3 cells, which lack endogenous p53 (25),
simultaneously with a p53 expression vector and our hMSH2-pGL3 reporter
vector. The constructs consisted of an expression vector containing the human p53 coding sequence (pORF-hp53) and either the 281(wt) or
281(mut) hMSH2 reporter vector (Fig.
6). Transfection of SK-OV-3 cells with
the 281(wt) hMSH2 construct and the empty pORF expression vector
produced low basal levels of transcription (Fig. 6). Co-transfection with the p53-expressing (p53-pORF) vector produced a significant (p < 0.01) 10-fold induction of the 281 hMSH2
promoter when compared with the activity in the absence of p53
co-transfection. When the 281(mut) hMSH2 construct containing the
mutated p53 site was co-transfected with a p53 expression vector,
promoter activity was induced by only 1.8-fold with overall promoter
activity the same as that observed for the 281(wt) construct in the
absence of co-transfected p53. We interpret these results as indicating that the observed 10-fold induction in the wild-type 281 construct in
SK-OV-3 cells is the result of p53 protein binding to the 242 hMSH2
enhancer element. These co-transfection experiments provide convincing
evidence that the 242 to 222 sequence within the hMSH2
proximal promoter functions as a p53 response element in ovarian cancer
cells and is capable of conferring p53-mediated regulation of
hMSH2 expression.

View larger version (12K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Fig. 6.
Activation of the hMSH2
promoter by co-transfection with a p53 expression vector.
p53-null SK-OV-3 cells were transfected with either the 281(wt)
hMSH2-pGL3 or 281(mut) hMSH2-pGL3 in the presence or absence of the
human p53 expression construct, pORF-hp53. A plus sign (+)
indicates the presence and a minus sign ( ) the absence of
a particular construct in the transfection assay. Data are expressed as
relative luciferase activity, mean ± S.E. of two independent
transfection experiments of four plates each (n = 8).
|
|
 |
DISCUSSION |
A thorough analysis and characterization of the 5' upstream
proximal promoter region of the hMSH2 gene is critical to
our understanding how the expression of this gene is regulated. A better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for regulation of
hMSH2 expression may shed light on the role the hMSH2
protein plays in stabilizing the cellular genome. Additionally, the
identification of regulatory elements and their associated
transcription factors may also provide important clues toward
understanding the association between the loss of hMSH2
expression, tumorigenesis, and chemotherapeutic resistance.
The present series of studies serves to expand our understanding of the
complex mechanisms involved in the regulation of hMSH2 expression by providing convincing evidence of the presence of a p53
response element ( 242 to 222) in the hMSH2 proximal
promoter region. The 242 hMSH2 p53 element identified in the present
studies has 100% homology to the p53 consensus sequence within the
core palindromic (C(A/T)(A/T)G) binding sites and an overall homology of 80% (Fig. 3). When compared to p53 elements from other genes (Fig.
7) the 242 hMSH2 element
shows a similar tandem repeat structure with divergence from the p53
consensus sequence confined to the less conserved flanking purine and
pyrimidine sequences. Similar to two previously identified p53 binding
sites IGFBP3 A and MCK, the 242 hMSH2 site has an
additional base (cytosine) separating the tandem repeat sites (Fig. 7).
What potential effect, if any, this additional spacing has on the
affinity or specificity of p53 for this sequence will be discussed in
detail later in this manuscript.

View larger version (17K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Fig. 7.
Sequence comparison of the p53 element in
hMSH2 ( 242 to 222) with known p53 binding
sites. The sequence of the putative hMSH2 p53 response
element ( 242 to 222) was aligned with previously identified p53
elements from several previously identified p53 target genes. Bases
matching the consensus sequence are shown in uppercase
letters. An asterisk indicates a 1-bp separation
between the two decamers comprising the p53 element. Bold
letters indicate the core palindromic p53 binding site within each
decamer.
|
|
That p53 acts as a regulator of the hMSH2 gene is consistent
with its role as a tumor suppressor in maintaining the cellular genome.
The MSH2 protein functions in concert with its dimer partners, MSH3 and
MSH6, to identify and bind to mismatched DNA base pairs. MutS binding
is the first step in the mismatch base excision repair pathway to
correct the newly synthesized DNA daughter strand following replication
of the cellular genome in anticipation of cell division. Because the
hMSH2 protein forms the core of the human MutS mismatch repair
complexes, its regulation by the tumor suppressor protein p53 would be
consistent with p53's role in maintaining genomic integrity following
DNA replication.
Direct regulation of hMSH2 expression by p53, as
demonstrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of this study, has broad implications
pertaining to genome instability in p53-negative cancers. As previously
mentioned, ~50% of all cancers are p53-negative. Because our data
indicate p53 is critical to the expression of the hMSH2 gene
there is a high likelihood that many of these same cancer cells will
also be deficient in mismatch repair activity. Under this scenario the
absence of p53 in these cells would produce a dual effect. First, it
would result in hMSH2 deficiencies rendering the cell unable
to repair damage introduced into the cellular genome through normal DNA
replication or as a result of DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents.
Second, the absence of p53 would compound the lack of mismatch repair
by also impairing the cells ability to undergo apoptosis; instead,
these cells would continue to divide producing further instability in
the cellular genome via the introduction of additional genetic
mutations. Eventually, the widespread genomic instability produced in
these p53-negative, mismatch repair-deficient, cells would result in
additional mutations to other oncogenes or oncosuppressor genes,
potentially producing a more aggressive cancer that is resistant to
chemotherapeutic agents. Clearly additional studies of the relationship
between mismatch repair activity and p53 in cancer cells are required
to gain a better understanding of their role in cancer genetics and
chemotherapeutic resistance.
The regulation of hMSH2 expression by p53 in ovarian cancer
cells in the present study is strikingly different from the regulation in osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells recently described by Scherer et al. (21). Gel-retardation studies by this same laboratory have identified the presence of two p53 binding sequences within the hMSH2 promoter region at 447 and 416 bp upstream of the
start site of transcription (20). In the present studies, deletion of
this region of the hMSH2 gene in our reporter construct
( 281 hMSH2-pGL3) did not produce the anticipated reduction in
promoter activity (Fig. 2). In fact, the opposite response to deletion of this region occurred (promoter activity increased ~2.5-fold) indicating the possible presence of a transcriptional repressor element
in this region. The present findings (as little as 281 bp of the
hMSH2 proximal promoter region are sufficient for full activity in A2780 cells (Fig. 2)) are in agreement with previously published transfection data in NIH 3T3 cells where full
hMSH2 promoter activity was contained within the first 296 bp (19). Thus, it appears that in both NIH 3T3 and A2780 cells the p53 elements at 447 and 416 are not transcriptionally active under the
conditions employed.
One potential explanation for the tissue-specific activity of the
previously identified 447 and 416 hMSH2 p53 elements, compared with
the present 242 hMSH2 element, may relate to differences in their
structures. The consensus p53 element consists of two tandem
palindromic binding sites. Each palindromic binding site can be further
subdivided into two half-sites, with each half-site capable of binding
a single p53 protein. Thus, the consensus p53 sequence consists of
four half-sites arranged as two tandem palindromes. Studies indicate
that four p53 proteins make up an active transcriptional stimulator
through binding to each of the four half-sites. The p53 proteins bind
as pairs (dimers) with both pairs of proteins in turn interacting; a
complex termed a dimer of dimers (26). The close proximity of the two
palindromic binding sites as a direct tandem repeat allows the pairs of
p53 dimers to interact. The p53 response element described in the
current study ( 242 hMSH2) also consists of two tandem repeat
palindromic binding sites, homologous to the p53 consensus site. Thus,
we would anticipate that binding of p53 to the 242 hMSH2 element
would result in dimer/dimer interactions similar to those observed with
the consensus binding site. In contrast, the previously identified
sites in the hMSH2 gene at 447 and 416 each consist of
only a single p53 palindromic binding site and are thus capable of
binding only a single dimer of p53. Instead of being arranged like the
consensus p53 sequence, as tandem palindromic repeats, there is a
spacing of 13 bp separating the 447 and 416 hMSH2 palindromic
binding sites. This distance would tend to preclude the type of direct dimer/dimer interactions described for the consensus sequence (27). The
additional spacing present between the 447 and 416 sites would seem
to necessitate a different type of interaction. Two possibilities exist
to allow dimer/dimer interaction in such a system, either folding or
looping of the DNA to bring the two sites next to each other, as has
been reported for the distal and proximal p53 elements in the
MCK promoter (28) or perhaps interaction with another
transcription factor, bound to an adjacent element.
Support for the second alternative that the 447 and 416 hMSH2
elements require interaction with another transcription factor comes
from the observation that the 447 and 416 elements are not able to
transactivate hMSH2 expression in Saos-2 cells solely in the
presence of p53 alone (21). Pretreatment of the cells with ionizing
radiation or co-transfection with the AP-1 binding protein c-Jun were
required for p53-mediated expression through both the 447 and 416
sites. An examination of the hMSH2 promoter sequence shows
the presence of AP1 binding sites flanking the 447 and 416 elements
(21). Therefore, it seems plausible that in certain cells (Saos-2) and
under certain conditions (ionizing radiation), AP-1 binding is required
for p53 activation through these sites. One might speculate that
transactivation through the 447 and 416 elements requires the
formation of a complex involving heterodimer-dimer interaction between
a dimer of p53 and an AP-1 binding complex. In other cell types
(A2780), p53 activation of hMSH2 occurs independent of other
transactivating factors through the 242 hMSH2 element. This element
does not appear to require additional factors, as co-transfection of
p53 into the null SK-OV-3 cell line was sufficient to produce
activation of the 281 hMSH2 promoter (Fig. 6). Furthermore, the 281
hMSH2 promoter construct does not contain either of the AP-1 sites that are presumably required for interaction with the 447 and 416 p53
elements, thereby eliminating direct AP-1 involvement with the
transactivation activity observed with the 242 hMSH2 element.
Recent observations concerning cell-specific interactions of the p53
protein on p53 binding sites in other genes may provide potential clues
regarding the complex, sometimes divergent, tissue-specific regulation
of the hMSH2 gene. Cell type-specific regulation of p53
target genes has been reported for the bax promoter (29). These studies indicate that in Saos-2 cells, both the bax
and p21 promoters showed p53-dependent
activation, whereas in similar experiments performed in MDA-MB-453
cells, p53 activated the p21 promoter but failed to activate
the bax promoter. This difference was attributed to
differences in p53 interaction with the p21 versus bax response elements because of their
different conformations. The p21 element is comprised of a
tandem repeat palindrome similar to the 242 hMSH2 element, whereas
the bax element is arranged as three adjacent half-sites
akin to the 447 and 416 sites. Thus, the inference drawn from these
studies is that the interaction of p53 on the bax promoter
(and by analogy the 447 and 416 hMSH2 sites) is somehow different
from the binding seen on the consensus sequence. This binding appears
to involve conformationally distinct, tissue-specific forms of the
protein present in Saos-2 cells that are capable of binding to a single
palindromic site. Thus, differences between the structures of the 242
hMSH2 element and the elements at 447 and 416 bp may account for
the difference in activity of elements in Saos-2 cells compared with
A2780. Clearly additional transfection studies combined with in
vitro binding assays will be required to resolve this issue and
provide greater insight into the complex cell-specific regulation of
hMSH2 expression by the currently identified p53 response elements.
Finally, it must be noted that p53 is but one member of a family of
proteins, the other two being p63 and p73 (30). All of these proteins
share a high degree of homology, as high as 63% in their DNA binding
domain (31), and each has been shown to be capable of binding to the
p53 consensus binding sequence (30). The p53 family is further
diversified through alternate splicing of the p73 mRNA product to
generate several protein variants (32), as well as post-translational
modifications of all three members, primarily via phosphorylation at
multiple sites (32). The rational for the complexities inherent in the
p53 family are at present not well understood. Current thinking
presumes that the complexity is related to the important function these
proteins play in both developmental expression and maintenance of the
cellular genome.
Given the diversity of the p53 family, a potential source of
tissue-specific transcriptional activation might involve competition by
other family members for binding to p53 elements. Both p63 and p73 have
been shown to effectively bind to p53 elements (31). When p73 was
transfected into A2780 cells the degree of endogenous p53
transcriptional activity was markedly reduced (33). This reduction
required an intact DNA binding domain in the transfected p73 protein
and thus was presumably the result of direct competition for binding to
the p53 element. Additional studies have shown that p73 overexpression
in A2780 cells also leads to a decrease in the transcription of the p53
gene resulting in reduced levels of p53 protein and hence diminished
promoter activity of p53 responsive genes (33). Tissue-specific
regulation of various p53 responsive genes could also be accounted for
by the observation that various members of the p53 family show
differences in their susceptibility to inactivation. For example, p53
and p73 show striking differences to adenovirus inactivation with p53
inactivated by the E1B 55 kDa oncoprotein with no effect on p73
activity (34).
Another potential source of tissue-specific expression of p53
responsive genes is the ability of p63 and p73 to bind p53 elements and
transactivate expression of p53 responsive genes. For example, p63 has
a similar binding specificity to the p53 Waf-1 site but differs in
binding to Gadd45 and T3SF sites (35). Given the fact that p53 binds to
DNA elements as a dimer it is also possible that p63 or p73 could form
heterodimers with p53 and either disrupt or enhance transactivation of
a target gene. Alternatively, p63 and/or p73 could disrupt p53 activity
without binding DNA, simply by sequestering it as an inactive
heterodimer in solution. Finally, alternate splice products of the p63
and p73 proteins lacking a transactivation domain but retaining an
intact DNA binding domain could function as competitive inhibitors, as
has been shown to occur in developing and adult tissues of p73
knock-out mice (36). Similar findings have been described in developing
neurons where the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF) increases the
expression of a truncated form of p73 that binds to p53 response
elements but is unable to transactivate expression. The presence of the truncated p73 protein on the p53 element acts as an anti-apoptotic signal to counteract the pro-apoptotic activity of p53 (37). In this
system, when NGF is withdrawn the levels of truncated p73 fall and p53
exerts its apoptotic role and neuronal death ensues. These studies
further emphasize the importance of understanding how the presence or
absence of various members of the p53 family can dramatically
affect the ability of a given p53 response element to transactivate
transcription in any given cell.
In conclusion, the presence of multiple cell-specific, p53 response
elements within the hMSH2 proximal promoter region will require additional studies to determine their respective roles in
regulating the expression of the hMSH2 gene in various
tissues. Toward this goal, studies are currently underway in our
laboratory to determine the relative affinities of the p53 family
members for these sites and their potential interactions with one
another as dimer partners. Additional studies of the proximal promoter regions of the other proteins that form the MutS complex, hMSH3 and
hMSH6, as well as the MutL core protein hMLH1 are also underway.
 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
We thank Janet Hansen for her assistance with
the immunohistochemical analysis, Susan Wall for the preparation of the
paraffin-embedded A2780 cell blocks, Matthew Campbell for his excellent
technical assistance in the isolation and characterization of the
hMSH2 constructs, and Dale Kern for computer support in the
preparation of the manuscript. Finally, we thank Dr. Sarah Ilstrup for
her critical review of the manuscript.
 |
FOOTNOTES |
*
This work was supported in part by The Devonshire
Foundation, The Smith Cancer Institute, The Joni Spafford Whitney
Endowment, and Warren and Kay Forsythe.The costs of publication of this
article were defrayed in part by the
payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked
"advertisement" in
accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section
1734 solely to indicate this fact.
¶
To whom correspondence should be addressed: Cancer Research
Lab., Dept. of Medicine, LDS Hospital, 325 8th Ave, Salt Lake City, UT
84143. Tel.: 801-408-1558; Fax: 801-408-5822; E-mail: ldkstrai@ihc.com.
Published, JBC Papers in Press, May 11, 2001, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M103088200
 |
ABBREVIATIONS |
The abbreviations used are:
MMR, mismatch
repair;
bp, base pair;
kb, kilobase;
HNPCC, hereditary non-polyposis
colorectal cancer;
wt, wild type;
mut, mutant;
Pu, purine;
Py, pyrimidine;
PCR, polymerase chain reaction.
 |
REFERENCES |
| 1.
|
Modrich, P.,
and Lahue, R.
(1996)
Annu. Rev. Biochem.
65,
101-133
|
| 2.
|
Claverys, J. P.,
and Lacks, S. A.
(1986)
Microbiol. Rev.
50,
133-165
|
| 3.
|
Modrich, P.
(1991)
Annu. Rev. Genet.
25,
229-253
|
| 4.
|
Palombo, F.,
Iaccarino, I.,
Nakajima, E.,
Ikejima, M.,
Shimada, T.,
and Jiricny, J.
(1996)
Curr. Biol.
6,
1181-1184
|
| 5.
|
Drummond, J. T.,
Li, G.-M.,
Longley, M. J.,
and Modrich, P.
(1995)
Science
268,
1909-1911
|
| 6.
|
Kinzler, K. W.,
and Vogelstein, B.
(1996)
Cell
87,
159-170
|
| 7.
|
de la Chapelle, A.,
and Peltomaki, P.
(1995)
Annu. Rev. Genet.
29,
329-348
|
| 8.
|
Fujita, M.,
Enomoto, T.,
Yoshino, K.,
Nomura, T.,
Buzard, G. S.,
and Inoue, M.
(1995)
Int. J. Cancer
64,
361-366
|
| 9.
|
Duckett, D.,
Drummond, J. T.,
Murchie, A.,
Reardon, J.,
Sancar, A.,
Lilley, D.,
and Modrich, P.
(1996)
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (U. S. A.)
93,
6443-6447
|
| 10.
|
Umar, A.,
Koi, M.,
Risinger, J. I.,
Glaab, W. E.,
Tindall, K. R.,
Kolodner, R. D.,
Boland, C. R.,
Barrett, J. C.,
and Kunkel, T. A.
(1997)
Cancer Res.
57,
3949-3955
|
| 11.
|
Carson, D. A.,
and Lois, A.
(1995)
Lancet
346,
1009-1011
|
| 12.
|
Marks, J. R.,
Davidoff, A. M.,
and Kerns, B. J. M.
(1991)
Cancer Res.
51,
2979-2984
|
| 13.
|
Levine, A. J.
(1997)
Cell
88,
323-331
|
| 14.
|
Prives, C.,
and Hall, P. A.
(1999)
J. Pathol.
187,
112-126
|
| 15.
|
Raycroft, L.,
Wu, H. Y.,
and Lozano, G.
(1990)
Science
249,
1049-1051
|
| 16.
|
El-Deiry, W. S.,
Kern, S. E.,
Pietenpol, J. A.,
Kinzler, K. W.,
and Vogelstein, B.
(1992)
Nat. Genet.
1,
45-49
|
| 17.
|
Ko, L. J.,
and Prives, C.
(1996)
Genes Dev.
10,
1054-1072
|
| 18.
|
Li, G.-M.
(1999)
Oncology Res.
11,
393-400
|
| 19.
|
Iwahashi, Y.,
Ito, E.,
Yanagisawa, Y.,
Akiyama, Y.,
Yuasa, Y.,
Onodera, T.,
and Maruyama, K.
(1998)
Gene (Amst.)
213,
141-147
|
| 20.
|
Scherer, S. J.,
Welter, C.,
Zang, K.-D.,
and Dooley, S.
(1996)
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.
221,
722-728
|
| 21.
|
Scherer, S. J.,
Maier, S. M.,
Seifert, M.,
Hanselmann, R. G.,
Zang, K. D.,
Muller-Hermelink, H. K.,
Angel, P.,
Welter, C.,
and Schartl, M.
(2000)
J. Biol. Chem.
275,
37469-37473
|
| 22.
|
Sheehy, G.
(1986)
The J. Histotechnol.
9,
134-139
|
| 23.
|
Guesdon, J. L.,
Ternynck, T.,
and Avrameas, S.
(1979)
J. Histochem. Cytochem.
27,
1131-1139
|
| 24.
|
Brown, R.,
Clugston, C.,
Burns, P.,
Edlin, A.,
Vasey, P.,
Vojtesek, B.,
and Kaye, S. B.
(1993)
Int. J. Cancer
55,
678-684
|
| 25.
|
Yaginuma, Y.,
and Westphal, H.
(1992)
Cancer Res.
52,
4196-4199
|
| 26.
|
Balagurumoorthy, P.,
Sakamoto, H.,
Lewis, M. S.,
Zambrano, N.,
Clore, G. M.,
Gronenborn, A. M.,
Appella, E.,
and Harrington, R. E.
(1995)
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (U. S. A.)
92,
8591-8595
|
| 27.
|
McLure, K. G.,
and Lee, P. W. K.
(1998)
EMBO J.
17,
3342-3350
|
| 28.
|
Jackson, P.,
Mastrangelo, I.,
Reed, M.,
Tegtmeyer, P.,
Yardley, G.,
and Barrett, J. C.
(1998)
Oncogene
16,
283-292
|
| 29.
|
Ruttenberg, D. H.
(1999)
J. Biol. Chem.
274,
33747-33756
|
| 30.
|
De Laurenzi, V.,
and Melino, G.
(2000)
Ann. NY Acad. Sci.
926,
90-100
|
| 31.
|
Levrero, M.,
De Laurenzi, V.,
Costanzo, A.,
Gong, J.,
Wang, J. Y.,
Melino, G.,
and Fondazione, A.
(2000)
J. Cell Sci.
113,
1661-1670
|
| 32.
|
Arrowsmith, C. H.
(1999)
Cell Death Diff.
6,
1169-1173
|
| 33.
|
Vikhanskaya, F.,
D'Incalci, M.,
and Broggini, M.
(2000)
Nucleic Acids Res.
28,
513-519
|
| 34.
|
Roth, J.,
Konig, C.,
Wienzek, S.,
Weigel, S.,
Ristea, S.,
and Dobbelstein, M.
(1998)
J. Virol.
72,
8510-8516
|
| 35.
|
Bian, J.,
and Sun, Y.
(1997)
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (U. S. A.)
94,
14753-14758
|
| 36.
|
Yang, A.,
Walker, N.,
Bronson, R.,
Kaghad, M.,
Oosterwegel, M.,
Bonnin, J.,
Vagner, C.,
Bonnet, H.,
Dikkes, P.,
Sharpe, A.,
McKeon, F.,
and Caput, D.
(2000)
Nature
404,
99-103
|
| 37.
|
Pozniak, C. D.,
Radinovic, S.,
Yang, A.,
McKeon, F.,
Kaplan, D. R.,
and Miller, F. D.
(2000)
Science
289,
304-306
|
Copyright © 2001 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

CiteULike Complore Connotea Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. A. Kulkarni, S. R. Kingsbury, S. Tudzarova, H.-K. Hong, M. Loddo, M. Rashid, S. Rodriguez-Acebes, A. T. Prevost, J. A. Ledermann, K. Stoeber, et al.
Cdc7 Kinase Is a Predictor of Survival and a Novel Therapeutic Target in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma
Clin. Cancer Res.,
April 1, 2009;
15(7):
2417 - 2425.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. C. Young, A. M. Keuling, R. Lai, P. N. Nation, V. A. Tron, and S. E. Andrew
The associated contributions of p53 and the DNA mismatch repair protein Msh6 to spontaneous tumorigenesis
Carcinogenesis,
October 1, 2007;
28(10):
2131 - 2138.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
O. Humbert, I. Achour, D. Lautier, G. Laurent, and B. Salles
hMSH2 expression is driven by AP1-dependent regulation through phorbol-ester exposure
Nucleic Acids Res.,
October 1, 2003;
31(19):
5627 - 5634.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Rau, I. Sturm, H. Lage, S. Berger, U. Schneider, S. Hauptmann, P. Wust, H. Riess, P. M. Schlag, B. Dorken, et al.
Dynamic Expression Profile of p21WAF1/CIP1 and Ki-67 Predicts Survival in Rectal Carcinoma Treated With Preoperative Radiochemotherapy
J. Clin. Oncol.,
September 15, 2003;
21(18):
3391 - 3401.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. T. Warnick, B. Dabbas, S. J. Ilstrup, C. D. Ford, and K. A. Strait
Cell Type-Dependent Regulation of hMLH1 Promoter Activity Is Influenced by the Presence of Multiple Redundant Elements
Mol. Cancer Res.,
June 1, 2003;
1(8):
610 - 618.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. Koivusalo, E. Krausz, P. Ruotsalainen, H. Helenius, and S. Hietanen
Chemoradiation of Cervical Cancer Cells: Targeting Human Papillomavirus E6 and p53 Leads to Either Augmented or Attenuated Apoptosis Depending on the Platinum Carrier Ligand
Cancer Res.,
December 15, 2002;
62(24):
7364 - 7371.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. A. Strait, B. Dabbas, E. H. Hammond, C. T. Warnick, S. J. Ilstrup, and C. D. Ford
Cell Cycle Blockade and Differentiation of Ovarian Cancer Cells by the Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Trichostatin A Are Associated with Changes in p21, Rb, and Id Proteins
Mol. Cancer Ther.,
November 1, 2002;
1(13):
1181 - 1190.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Sale, R. Sung, P. Shen, K. Yu, Y. Wang, G. E. Duran, J.-H. Kim, T. Fojo, P. J. Oefner, and B. I. Sikic
Conservation of the Class I {beta}-Tubulin Gene in Human Populations and Lack of Mutations in Lung Cancers and Paclitaxel-resistant Ovarian Cancers
Mol. Cancer Ther.,
January 1, 2002;
1(3):
215 - 225.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
|
Advertisement
Advertisement
|