p18 was first identified as a factor associated with a macromolecular tRNA synthetase complex. Here we describe the mouse p18 loss-of-function phenotype and a role for p18 in the DNA damage response. Inactivation of both p18 alleles caused embryonic lethality, while heterozygous mice showed high susceptibility to spontaneous tumors. p18 was induced and translocated to the nucleus in response to DNA damage. Expression of p18 resulted in elevated p53 levels, while p18 depletion blocked p53 induction. p18 directly interacted with ATM/ATR in response to DNA damage. The activity of ATM was dependent on the level of p18, suggesting the requirement of p18 for the activation of ATM. Low p18 expression was frequently observed in different human cancer cell lines and tissues. These results suggest that p18 is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor and a key factor for ATM/ATR-mediated p53 activation.

AIMP2/p38 is a scaffolding protein required for the assembly of the macromolecular tRNA synthetase complex. Here, we describe a previously unknown function for AIMP2 as a positive regulator of p53 in response to genotoxic stresses. Depletion of AIMP2 increased resistance to DNA damage-induced apoptosis, and introduction of AIMP2 into AIMP2-deficient cells restored the susceptibility to apoptosis. Upon DNA damage, AIMP2 was phosphorylated, dissociated from the multi-tRNA synthetase complex, and translocated into the nuclei of cells. AIMP2 directly interacts with p53, thereby preventing MDM2-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of p53. Mutations in AIMP2, affecting its interaction with p53, hampered its ability to activate p53. Nutlin-3 recovered the level of p53 and the susceptibility to UV-induced cell death in AIMP2-deficient cells. This work demonstrates that AIMP2, a component of the translational machinery, functions as proapoptotic factor via p53 in response to DNA damage.A minoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are the enzymes that ligate specific amino acids to tRNAs before protein synthesis. In higher eukaryotic systems, nine different ARSs form an intriguing macromolecular complex with three nonenzymatic factors called ARS-interacting, multifunctional proteins (AIMPs) (1, 2). Many of these complex-forming ARSs, as well as AIMPs, play diverse regulatory roles that are not directly related to protein synthesis (2). Among the three AIMPs, AIMP1 is secreted as a cytokine working in immune, angiogenesis, and wound-healing processes (3-7) and also functions as a hormone controlling glucose homeostasis (8). AIMP3 is a tumor suppressor required for chromosome integrity (9, 10). Although AIMP2 is critical for the assembly of the multi-ARS complex (11), it also suppresses cell proliferation via down-regulation of c-Myc (12). In addition, AIMP2 was shown to be involved in Parkinson's disease, inducing neural cell death (13). However, it is yet to be determined how AIMP2 is involved in the control of cell death. In this work, we investigated the functional significance and molecular behavior of AIMP2 during the control of cell death and the relationship of AIMP2 associated with the multi-ARS complex and its proapoptotic activity. Results AIMP2-Deficient Cells AreResistant to Cell Death. To see the importance of AIMP2 during the control of cell death, we subjected 12.5-d AIMP2 ϩ/ϩ and AIMP2 Ϫ/Ϫ mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) to UV irradiation and compared their apoptotic sensitivity. The apoptotic cells, indicated by the subG1 portion, were increased Ϸ3-fold by UV irradiation in AIMP2 ϩ/ϩ but not in AIMP2 Ϫ/Ϫ cells (Fig. 1A). Transfection of AIMP2 into AIMP2 Ϫ/Ϫ MEFs restored the apoptotic sensitivity to UV irradiation (Fig. 1B). We also compared the apoptotic response of AIMP2 ϩ/ϩ and AIMP2 Ϫ/Ϫ MEFs to UV irradiation by monitoring caspase-3 activation. Procaspase-3 cleavage resulting in caspase-3 generation was observed in AIMP2 ϩ/ϩ but not in AIMP2 Ϫ/Ϫ cells (Fig. 1C). Suppression of AIMP2 via gene-specific siRNA...

AIMP3 (previously known as p18) was shown to up-regulate p53 in response to DNA damage. Here, we show that AIMP3 couples oncogenic stresses to p53 activation to prevent cell transformation. Growth factor-or Ras-dependent induction of p53 was blocked by single allelic loss of AIMP3 as well as by suppression of AIMP3. AIMP3 heterozygous cells became susceptible to cell transformation induced by oncogenes such as Ras or Myc alone. The transformed AIMP3 +/À cells showed severe abnormality in cell division and chromosomal structure. Thus, AIMP3 plays crucial roles in p53-mediated tumor-suppressive response against oncogenic stresses via differential activation of ATM and ATR, and in the maintenance of genomic stability. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(14): 6913-8)

BackgroundDeep sequencing techniques provide a remarkable opportunity for comprehensive understanding of tumorigenesis at the molecular level. As omics studies become popular, integrative approaches need to be developed to move from a simple cataloguing of mutations and changes in gene expression to dissecting the molecular nature of carcinogenesis at the systemic level and understanding the complex networks that lead to cancer development.ResultsHere, we describe a high-throughput, multi-dimensional sequencing study of primary lung adenocarcinoma tumors and adjacent normal tissues of six Korean female never-smoker patients. Our data encompass results from exome-seq, RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, and MeDIP-seq. We identified and validated novel genetic aberrations, including 47 somatic mutations and 19 fusion transcripts. One of the fusions involves the c-RET gene, which was recently reported to form fusion genes that may function as drivers of carcinogenesis in lung cancer patients. We also characterized gene expression profiles, which we integrated with genomic aberrations and gene regulations into functional networks. The most prominent gene network module that emerged indicates that disturbances in G2/M transition and mitotic progression are causally linked to tumorigenesis in these patients. Also, results from the analysis strongly suggest that several novel microRNA-target interactions represent key regulatory elements of the gene network.ConclusionsOur study not only provides an overview of the alterations occurring in lung adenocarcinoma at multiple levels from genome to transcriptome and epigenome, but also offers a model for integrative genomics analysis and proposes potential target pathways for the control of lung adenocarcinoma.