The tumor-suppressor p53 is a multifunctional protein mainly responsible for maintaining genomic integrity. p53 induces its tumor-suppressor activity by either causing cellcycle arrest (G 1 /S or G 2 /M) or inducing cells to undergo apoptosis. This function of wild-type p53 as "guardian of the genome" is presumably achieved by forming molecular complexes with different DNA targets as well as by interacting with a number of cellular proteins, e.g., Mdm2, Gadd45, p21, 14-3-3, Bax and Apaf-1. Upon activation, p53 activates p21, which in turn controls the cell cycle by regulating G 1 or G 2 checkpoints. Here, we report SMAR1 as one such p53-interacting protein that is involved in delaying tumor progression in vivo as well as in regulating the cell cycle.
SMAR1S activates p53-mediated reporter gene expression in mouse melanoma cells, breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and p53 null cells (K562), followed by activation of its downstream effector, p21. We further demonstrate that SMAR1 physically interacts and colocalizes with p53. These data together suggest that SMAR1 is the only known MARBP that delays tumor progression via direct activation and interaction with tumor-suppressor p53.
We have used human cell lines, namely, K562 and HeLa cells as model systems in understanding the mechanism of lead toxicity and heat shock, that may be mediated by the heme-regulated eIF-2alpha kinase which is also called the heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI). RT-PCR analysis using HRI-specific primers indicated a two- to three-fold increase in HRI expression in K562 and HeLa cells exposed to lead acetate and heat shock, respectively. Further, in vitro eIF-2alpha kinase assay indicated a two- to three-fold increase in HRI kinase activity during lead toxicity in K562 cells. This increase in HRI expression and its activity was accompanied by a significant decrease in cell proliferation and cell viability. This is therefore, the first report indicating that both heavy metal exposure and heat shock cause inhibition of protein synthesis not by activation of HRI alone but by its over-expression as well as activation. Our data indicate further that lead-induced inhibition of cell proliferation may be caused due to inhibition of protein synthesis resulted due to induced expression and activity of HRI.
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