Autophagy induced by p53-reactivating molecules protects pancreatic cancer cells from apoptosis

TP53 mutations compromising p53 transcriptional function occur in more than 50 % of human cancers, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and render cancer cells more resistant to conventional therapy. In the last few years, many efforts have been addressed to identify p53-reactivating molecules able to restore the wild-type transcriptionally competent conformation of the mutated proteins. Here, we show that two of these compounds, CP-31398 and RITA, induce cell growth inhibition, apoptosis, and autophagy by activating p53/DNA binding and p53 phosphorylation (Ser15), without affecting the total p53 amount. These effects occur in both wild-type and mutant p53 pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines, whereas they are much less pronounced in normal human primary fibroblasts. Furthermore, CP-31398 and RITA regulate the axis SESN1-2/AMPK/mTOR by inducing AMPK phosphorylation on Thr172, which has a crucial role in the autophagic response. The protective role of autophagy in cell growth inhibition by CP-31398 and RITA is supported by the finding that the AMPK inhibitor compound C or the autophagy inhibitors chloroquine or 3-methyladenine sensitize both pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines to the apoptotic response induced by p53-reactivating molecules. Our results demonstrate for the first time a survival role for autophagy induced by p53-reactivating molecules, supporting the development of an anti-cancer therapy based on autophagy inhibition associated to p53 activation.