p53 regulates cellular responses to environmental carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide in human lung cancer cells.

The p53 tumor suppressor is a mutational target of environmental carcinogen anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE). We now demonstrate that p53 plays an important role in regulation of cellular responses to BPDE. Exposure of p53-null H1299 human lung cancer cells to BPDE resulted in S and G(2) phase cell cycle arrest, but not mitotic block, which correlated with induction of cyclin B1 protein expression, down-modulation of cell division cycle 25C (Cdc25C) and Cdc25B protein levels, and hyperphosphorylation of Cdc25C (S216), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1; Y15), checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1; S317 and S345) and Chk2 (T68). The BPDE-induced S phase block, but not the G(2)/M phase arrest, was significantly attenuated by knockdown of Chk1 protein level. The BPDE-mediated accumulation of sub-diploid fraction (apoptotic cells) was significantly decreased in H1299 cells transiently transfected with both Chk1 and Chk2 specific siRNAs. The H460 human lung cancer cell line (wild-type p53) was relatively more sensitive to BPDE-mediated growth inhibition and enrichment of sub-diploid apoptotic fraction compared with H1299 cells. The BPDE exposure failed to activate either S or G(2) phase checkpoint in H460 cells. Instead, the BPDE-treated H460 cells exhibited a nearly 8-fold increase in sub-diploid apoptotic cells that was accompanied by phosphorylation of p53 at multiple sites. Knockdown of p53 protein level in H460 cells attenuated BPDE-induced apoptosis but enforced activation of S and G(2) phase checkpoints. In conclusion, the present study points towards an important role of p53 in regulation of cellular responses to BPDE in human lung cancer cells.