Phosphorylation of p53 protein in A549 human pulmonary epithelial cells exposed to asbestos fibers.

We examined effects of asbestos exposure on the phosphorylation of p53 protein in human pulmonary epithelial type II cells (A549), which express wild-type p53. In cells exposed to two different types of asbestos, chrysotile (approximately 1-6% iron content) and crocidolite (approximately 27% iron content) fibers, at the doses of 1, 5, and 10 microg/cm2 for 24 hr, the levels of p53 phosphorylated at Ser15 and p53 protein were correlated with the dose. On a per-weight basis, chrysotile was more potent in inducing Ser15 phosphorylation and accumulation of p53 protein than was crocidolite. After exposure to 10 micro g/cm2 chrysotile, the levels of p53 phosphorylated at Ser15 and of p53 protein increased after 18 hr. Among serines in p53 protein immunoprecipitated from A549 cells treated with chrysotile, only Ser15 was markedly phosphorylated. In contrast, no clear phosphorylation was observed at Ser6, Ser9, Ser20, Ser37, Ser46, or Ser392. Blocking of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase pathway with U0126 or inhibition of p38 activity with SB203580 did not suppress chrysotile-induced Ser15 phosphorylation. On the other hand, treatment with wortmannin, an inhibitor of DNA-activated protein kinase and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated, suppressed both chrysotile-induced Ser15 phosphorylation and accumulation of p53 protein. Treatment with either catalase or N-acetylcysteine failed to suppress chrysotile-induced Ser15 phosphorylation, suggesting that reactive oxygen species do not play a major role in the phosphorylation of p53 protein. The present results show that asbestos, particularly chrysotile, induces phosphorylation of p53 protein at Ser15 in A549 cells depending on a DNA damage-signaling pathway.