P16 and P14ARF are two tumor suppressors encoded by the locus ink4a-arf which is frequently deleted in human tumors. Recent experiments performed with mouse embryonic ®broblasts have shown that P14ARF is an upstream regulator of the P53 pathway. This raises the question as to whether in human tumors the loss of p14arf and mutation of p53 are mutually exclusive events which segregate with genetic alterations at other loci. To examine this question we performed a multigenic analysis on 29 gliomas. We analysed p53 and p14arf in relation with ®ve other genetic loci encoding the most frequently mutated genes in human gliomas: cdkn2a, mdm2, egfr, pten and the chromosomal regions 10q23.3 and 10q25-26. Our study shows for the ®rst time that p53 mutations and p14arf deletions appear mutually exclusive in human glioblastoma, suggesting that they may be functionally redundant in glioma tumorigenesis. The P53 pathway is, therefore, disrupted in 81.8% of malignant gliomas (WHO grades III and IV), either by mutation of the p53 gene (31.8%) or by p14arf deletion (54.5%). These tumors further showed MDM2 overexpression (9.1%), egfr oncogene ampli®cation/egfr overexpression (50%), pten mutations (27.3%) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the chromosomal regions 10q23.3 (86.4%) and 10q25-26 (100%). These alterations did not segregate with p53 mutations or p14arf deletions, while p14arf and cdkn2a were always deleted. Oncogene (2000) 19, 3816 ± 3822.

The nervous system of the B6C3F1 mouse has rarely been a target for chemical carcinogenesis in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) bioassays. However, 6 malignant gliomas and 2 neuroblastomas were observed in B6C3F1 mice exposed to 625 ppm 1,3-butadiene (NTP technical reports 288 and 434). These mouse brain tumors were evaluated with regard to the profile of genetic alterations that are observed in human brain tumors. Alterations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene were common. Missense mutations were observed in 3/6 malignant gliomas and 2/2 neuroblastomas and were associated with loss of heterozygosity. Most of the mutations occurred in exons 5-8 of the p53 gene and were G → A transitions, and did not involve CpG sites. Loss of heterozygosity at the Ink4a/Arf gene locus was observed in 5/5 malignant gliomas and 1/1 neuroblastoma, while the PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue) gene locus was unaffected by deletions. One of 2 neuroblastomas had a mutation in codon 61 of H-ras, while H-ras mutations were not observed in the malignant gliomas examined. Only 1 brain tumor has been reported from control mice of over 500 NTP studies. This malignant glioma showed no evidence of alterations in the p53 gene or K -and H-ras mutations. It is likely that the specific genetic alterations observed were induced or selected for by 1,3-butadiene treatment that contributed to the development of mouse brain tumors. The observed findings are similar in part to the genetic alterations reported in human brain tumors.

Amplification of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or expression of its constitutively activated mutant, DEGFR(2-7), in association with the inactivation of the INK4a/Arf gene locus is a frequent alteration in human glioblastoma. The notion of a cooperative effect between these two alterations has been demonstrated in respective mouse brain tumor models including our own. Here, we investigated underlying molecular mechanisms in early passage cortical astrocytes deficient for p16 INK4a / p19 Arf or p53, respectively, with or without ectopic expression of DEGFR(2-7). Targeting these cells with the specific EGFR inhibitor tyrphostin AG1478 revealed that phosphorylation of ERK was only abrogated in the presence of an intact INK4a/Arf gene locus. The sensitivity to inhibit ERK phosphorylation was independent of ectopic expression of DEGFR(2-7) and independent of the TP53 status. This resistance to downregulate the MAPK pathway in the absence of INK4a/Arf was confirmed in cell lines derived from our mouse glioma models with the respective initial genetic alterations. Thus, deletion of INK4a/Arf appears to keep ERK in its active, phosphorylated state insensitive to an upstream inhibitor specifically targeting EGFR/DEGFR(2-7). This resistance may contribute to the cooperative tumorigenic effect selected for in human glioblastoma that may be of crucial clinical relevance for treatments specifically targeting EGFR/DEGFR(2-7) in glioblastoma patients.

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