Skp2B Overexpression Alters a Prohibitin-p53 Axis and the Transcription of PAPP-A, the Protease of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that the degradation of prohibitin by the SCF(Skp2B) ubiquitin ligase results in a defect in the activity of p53. We also reported that MMTV-Skp2B transgenic mice develop mammary gland tumors that are characterized by an increased proteolytic cleavage of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4 (IGFBP-4), an inhibitor of IGF signaling. However, whether a link exists between a defect in p53 activity and proteolysis of IGFBP-4 was not established. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed the levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), the protease of IGFBP-4, in MMTV-Skp2B transgenic mice and found that PAPP-A levels are elevated. Further, we found a p53 binding site in intron 1 of the PAPP-A gene and that both wild type and mutant p53 bind to this site. However, binding of wild type p53 results in the transcriptional repression of PAPP-A, while binding of mutant p53 results in the transcriptional activation of PAPP-A. Since MMTV-Skp2B mice express wild type p53 and yet show elevated levels of PAPP-A, at first, these observations appeared contradictory. However, further analysis revealed that the defect in p53 activity in Skp2B overexpressing cells does not only abolish the activity of wild type of p53 but actually mimics that of mutant p53. Our results suggest that in absence of prohibitin, the half-life of p53 is increased and like mutant p53, the conformation of p53 is denatured. CONCLUSIONS: These observations revealed a novel function of prohibitin as a chaperone of p53. Further, they suggest that binding of denatured p53 in intron 1 causes an enhancer effect and increases the transcription of PAPP-A. Therefore, these findings indicate that the defect in p53 function and the increased proteolysis of IGFBP-4, we had observed, represent two components of the same pathway, which contributes to the oncogenic function of Skp2B.