Characterisation of the p53 pathway in cell lines established from TH-MYCN transgenic mouse tumours

Int J Oncol. 2018 Mar;52(3):967-977. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2018.4261. Epub 2018 Jan 31.

Abstract

Cell lines established from the TH-MYCN transgenic murine model of neuroblastoma are a valuable preclinical, immunocompetent, syngeneic model of neuroblastoma, for which knowledge of their p53 pathway status is important. In this study, the Trp53 status and functional response to Nutlin-3 and ionising radiation (IR) were determined in 6 adherent TH-MYCN transgenic cell lines using Sanger sequencing, western blot analysis and flow cytometry. Sensitivity to structurally diverse MDM2 inhibitors (Nutlin-3, MI-63, RG7388 and NDD0005) was determined using XTT proliferation assays. In total, 2/6 cell lines were Trp53 homozygous mutant (NHO2A and 844MYCN+/+) and 1/6 (282MYCN+/-) was Trp53 heterozygous mutant. For 1/6 cell lines (NHO2A), DNA from the corresponding primary tumour was found to be Trp53 wt. In all cases, the presence of a mutation was consistent with aberrant p53 signalling in response to Nutlin-3 and IR. In comparison to TP53 wt human neuroblastoma cells, Trp53 wt murine control and TH-MYCN cell lines were significantly less sensitive to growth inhibition mediated by MI-63 and RG7388. These murine Trp53 wt and mutant TH-MYCN cell lines are useful syngeneic, immunocompetent neuroblastoma models, the former to test p53-dependent therapies in combination with immunotherapies, such as anti-GD2, and the latter as models of chemoresistant relapsed neuroblastoma when aberrations in the p53 pathway are more common. The spontaneous development of Trp53 mutations in 3 cell lines from TH-MYCN mice may have arisen from MYCN oncogenic driven and/or ex vivo selection. The identified species-dependent selectivity of MI-63 and RG7388 should be considered when interpreting in vivo toxicity studies of MDM2 inhibitors.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Indoles / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mutation
  • N-Myc Proto-Oncogene Protein / genetics
  • Neuroblastoma / genetics
  • Neuroblastoma / pathology*
  • Piperazines / pharmacology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / metabolism*
  • Pyrrolidines / pharmacology
  • Radiation, Ionizing
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / radiation effects
  • Spiro Compounds / pharmacology
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*
  • para-Aminobenzoates / pharmacology

Substances

  • Imidazoles
  • Indoles
  • MI-63 compound
  • MYCN protein, mouse
  • N-Myc Proto-Oncogene Protein
  • Piperazines
  • Pyrrolidines
  • RG7388
  • Spiro Compounds
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • para-Aminobenzoates
  • nutlin 3
  • Mdm2 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2