mTOR inhibition acts as an unexpected checkpoint in p53-mediated tumor suppression

Abstract

Here, we showed that the acetylation-defective p53-4KR mice, lacking the ability of cell cycle arrest, senescence, apoptosis, and ferroptosis, were tumor prone but failed to develop early-onset tumors. By identifying a novel p53 acetylation site at lysine K136, we found that simultaneous mutations at all five acetylation sites (p53-5KR) diminished its remaining tumor suppression function. Moreover, the embryonic lethality caused by the deficiency of mdm2 was fully rescued in the background of p53^5KR/5KR, but not p53^4KR/4KR background. p53-4KR retained the ability to suppress mTOR function but this activity was abolished in p53-5KR cells. Notably, the early-onset tumor formation observed in p53^5KR/5KR and p53-null mice was suppressed upon the treatment of the mTOR inhibitor. These results suggest that p53-mediated mTOR regulation plays an important role in both embryonic development and tumor suppression, independent of cell cycle arrest, senescence, apoptosis, and ferroptosis.