Disruption of the p53-mediated G{sub 1}/S cell cycle checkpoint results in elevated rates of spontaneous genetic recombination in human fibroblasts
- Yale Univ. School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (United States)
A key feature of the cancer-prone inherited disease ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is genetic instability. We recently demonstrated that one aspect of genetic instability in A-T is a marked elevation in the spontaneous rates of intrachromosomal mitotic recombination. We have proposed a model for A-T that attributes these high recombination rates to a lack of DNA damage-sensitive cell cycle checkpoints. One prediction of this model is that disrupting p53 function in normal cells should increase their spontaneous rates of recombination by interfering with their p53-dependent G{sub 1}/S cell cycle checkpoint. To test this prediction, we transfected control and A-T fibroblast lines that each harbor a single integrated copy of lacZ-based recombination vector (pLrec) with derivatives of a eukaryotic expression vector (pRep5) that contain either a dominant-negative p53 mutant (143{sup val{yields}ala}) or a human papilloma virus E6 gene (HPV18 E6). Expression of either of these genes results in loss of p53 function and abolition of the G{sub 1}/S cell cycle checkpoint. Four independent p53{sup 143ala} transformants of the control line showed 25-80 fold elevations in spontaneous recombination rates when compared to their parent cell line. Elevations in spontaneous recombination rates were also detected following transfection with the HPV18 E6 gene. In contrast, four independent p53{sup 143ala} transformants of the A-T cell line showed no significant changes in their already high spontaneous recombination rates. We are now extending these observations to additional normal human fibroblast lines and carrying out molecular analyses of the products of these recombinational events. Our results support our hypothesis that the lack of a p53-dependent G{sub 1}/S cell cycle checkpoint contributes to the hyperrecombination seen in A-T.
- OSTI ID:
- 133405
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941009--
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Human Genetics, Journal Name: American Journal of Human Genetics Journal Issue: Suppl.3 Vol. 55; ISSN AJHGAG; ISSN 0002-9297
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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