Mouse homolog of the human TP53 R337H mutation reveals its role in tumorigenesis

Inheritance of germline mutations in the tumor suppressor gene TP53 causes Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a cancer predisposition disorder. The arginine to histidine substitution at amino acid position 337 of p53 (R337H) is a founder mutation highly prevalent in southern and southeastern Brazil and is considered an LFS mutation. Although this mutation is of significant clinical interest, its role in tumorigenesis using animal models has not been described. Here we generate a knockin mouse model containing the homologous R337H mutation (mouse R334H). De novo tumorigenesis was not significantly increased in either heterozygous (p53334R/H) or homozygous (p53334H/H) p53 R334H knockin mice compared with wild-type mice. However, susceptibility to diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver carcinogenesis was increased in a mutant allele dose-dependent manner. In parallel, p53334H/H mice exposed to DEN exhibited increased DNA damage but decreased cell cycle regulation in the liver. Oligomerization of p53, which is required for transactivation of target genes, was reduced in R334H liver, consistent with its decreased nuclear activity compared to wild-type. By modeling a TP53 mutation in mice that has relatively weak cancer penetrance, this study provides in vivo evidence that the human R337H mutation can compromise p53 activity and promote tumorigenesis.

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