Wip1 and p53 contribute to HTLV-1 Tax-induced tumorigenesis

BACKGROUND: Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infects 20 million individuals world-wide and causes Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL), a highly aggressive T-cell cancer. ATLL is refractory to treatment with conventional chemotherapy and fewer than 10% of afflicted individuals survive more than 5 years after diagnosis. HTLV-1 encodes a viral oncoprotein, Tax, that functions in transforming virus-infected T-cells into leukemic cells. All ATLL cases are believed to have reduced p53 activity although only a minority of ATLLs have genetic mutations in their p53 gene. It has been suggested that p53 function is inactivated by the Tax protein. RESULTS: Using genetically altered mice, we report here that Tax expression does not achieve a functional equivalence of p53 inactivation as that seen with genetic mutation of p53 (i.e. a p53(−/−) genotype). Thus, we find statistically significant differences in tumorigenesis between Tax(+)p53(+/+)versus Tax(+)p53(−/−) mice. We also find a role contributed by the cellular Wip1 phosphatase protein in tumor formation in Tax transgenic mice. Notably, Tax(+)Wip1(−/−) mice show statistically significant reduced prevalence of tumorigenesis compared to Tax(+)Wip1(+/+) counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide new insights into contributions by p53 and Wip1 in the in vivo oncogenesis of Tax-induced tumors in mice.