p53-induced apoptosis is specified by a translation program regulated by PCBP2 and DHX30.

Abstract

Activation of p53 by the small molecule Nutlin can result in a combination of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The relative strength of these events is difficult to predict by classical gene expression analysis, leaving uncertainty as to the therapeutic benefits of Nutlin. Here, we report a new translational control mechanism shaping p53-dependent apoptosis. Using polysome profiling, we establish Nutlin-induced apoptosis to be associated with the enhanced translation of mRNAs carrying multiple copies of a newly identified 3UTR CG-rich motif mediating p53-dependent death (CGPD-motif). We identified PCBP2 and DHX30 as CGPD-motif interactors. We found that in cells undergoing persistent cell cycle arrest in response to Nutlin, CGPD-motif mRNAs are repressed by the PCBP2-dependent binding of DHX30 to the motif. Thus, upon DHX30 depletion in these cells, the translation of CGPD-motif mRNAs is increased, and the response to Nutlin shifts towards apoptosis. Instead, DHX30 inducible overexpression in SJSA1 cells, that undergo Nutlin-induced apoptosis, leads to decreased translation of CGPD-motif mRNAs. Overall, this work establishes the role of PCBP2-DHX30 in controlling the translation of CGPD-motif mRNAs and thus provide a new mechanism to modulate the induction of p53-dependent apoptosis.