The pharmalogical reactivation of p53 function improves breast tumor cell lysis by granzyme B and NK cells through induction of autophagy

Cell Death Dis. 2019 Sep 20;10(10):695. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1950-1.

Abstract

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and natural killer cells (NK)-mediated elimination of tumor cells is mostly dependent on Granzyme B apoptotic pathway, which is regulated by the wild type (wt) p53 protein. Because TP53 inactivating mutations, frequently found in human tumors, could interfere with Granzyme B-mediated cell death, the use of small molecules developed to reactivate wtp53 function in p53-mutated tumor cells could optimize their lysis by CTL or NK cells. Here, we show that the pharmalogical reactivation of a wt-like p53 function in p53-mutated breast cancer cells using the small molecule CP-31398 increases their sensitivity to NK-mediated lysis. This potentiation is dependent on p53-mediated induction of autophagy via the sestrin-AMPK-mTOR pathway and the ULK axis. This CP31398-induced autophagy sequestrates in autophagosomes several anti-apoptotic proteins, including Bcl-XL and XIAP, facilitating Granzyme B-mediated mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, caspase-3 activation and Granzyme B- or NK cell-induced apoptosis. Together, our results define a new way to increase cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated lysis of p53-mutated breast cancer cell, through a p53-dependent autophagy induction, with potential applications in combined immunotherapeutic approaches.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autophagy / drug effects
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms / immunology
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Granzymes / metabolism
  • Granzymes / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Killer Cells, Natural / drug effects
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology*
  • Killer Cells, Natural / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Perforin / pharmacology
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transfection
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / immunology*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Pyrimidines
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Perforin
  • Granzymes
  • CP 31398