c-Myc antagonizes the effect of p53 on apoptosis and p21WAF1 transactivation in K562 leukemia cells

• c-myc protooncogene positively regulates cell proliferation and overexpression of c-myc is found in many solid tumors and leukemias. In the present study we used the K562 human myeloid leukemia cell line as a model to study the functional interaction between c-Myc and p53. Using two different methods, we generated K562 transfectant cell lines with conditional expression of either c-Myc or p53. The cells expressed the p53Vall35 mutant, which adopts a wild-type conformation at 32 degrees C, while c-Myc induction was achieved with a zinc-inducible expression vector. We found that p53 in wild-type conformation induces growth arrest and apoptosis of K562. Expression of c-Myc significantly attenuated apoptosis and impaired the transcriptional activity of p53 on p21WAF1, Bax and cytomegalovirus promoters. The impairment of p21WAF1 transactivation by c-Myc was confirmed by transfection of a c-Myc-estrogen receptor fusion protein and by induction of c-myc by zinc in transfected cells. Also, p53-mediated up-regulation of p21WAF1 mRNA protein were significantly reduced by c-Myc, while Bax levels were unaffected. Consistently, c-Myc increased cyclin-dependent kinase 2 activity in K562 cells expressing p53 in wild-type conformation. These results suggest that c-Myc overexpression may antagonize the pro-apoptotic function of p53, thus providing a molecular mechanism for the frequently observed deregulation of c-myc in human cancer.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Cell- och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Cell and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Apoptosis

Blast Crisis/genetics

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21

Cyclins/genetics

Humans

K562 Cells

Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics

Recombinant Proteins/metabolism

Transcriptional Activation

Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics

Up-Regulation

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art (ämneskategori)

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