In vitro and in silico studies of MDM2/MDMX isoforms predict Nutlin-3A sensitivity in well/de-differentiated liposarcomas

Lab Invest. 2013 Nov;93(11):1232-40. doi: 10.1038/labinvest.2013.107. Epub 2013 Sep 9.

Abstract

The molecular marker of well-differentiated/de-differentiated liposarcomas is MDM2 gene amplification coupled with protein overexpression and wild-type TP53. MDMX is a recently identified MDM2 homolog and its presence in this tumor is unexplored. Our aim was to investigate the role of full-length MDM2 and MDMX proteins and their isoforms in surgical specimens of well-differentiated/de-differentiated liposarcomas in view of Nutlin-3A (a MDM2 inhibitor) treatment. Frozen and matched formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material from surgical specimens was examined by means of: (1) fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine MDM2 and MDMX gene copy numbers; (2) RT-PCR and densitometry to analyze alternative splicing forms of mdm2 and mdmx; (3) immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry to assess the corresponding translated proteins; and (4) in vitro and in silico assays to determine their affinity for Nutlin-3A. All these cases showed MDM2 gene amplification with an MDMX disomic pattern. In all cases, the full-length mdm2 transcript was associated with the mdm2-b transcript, with ratios ranging from 0.07 to 5.6, and both were translated into protein; mdmx and mdmx-s were co-transcripted, with ratios ranging from 0.1 to 5.6. MDMX-S was frequently more upregulated than MDMX at both transcriptional and protein level. Each case showed different amounts of mdm2, mdm2-b, mdmx, and mdmx-s transcripts and the corresponding proteins. In vitro assays showed that Nutlin-3A was ineffective against MDM2-B and was unable to disrupt the MDMX/TP53 and MSMX-S/TP53 complexes. Molecular simulations confirmed these in vitro findings by showing that MDM2 has high Nutlin-3A affinity, followed by MDMX-S, MDMX, and MDM2-B. Nutlin-3A is predicted to be a good therapeutic option for well-differentiated/de-differentiated liposarcomas. However, our findings predict heterogeneous responses depending on the relative expression of mdm2, mdm2-b, mdmx, and mdmx-s transcripts and proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alternative Splicing
  • Antineoplastic Agents / metabolism
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Computer Simulation
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / physiology
  • Female
  • Gene Dosage
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / metabolism
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology*
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Liposarcoma / drug therapy*
  • Liposarcoma / metabolism*
  • Liposarcoma / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Nuclear Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Piperazines / metabolism
  • Piperazines / pharmacology*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Isoforms / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / metabolism*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Imidazoles
  • MDM4 protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Piperazines
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • nutlin 3
  • MDM2 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2