Wild-type p53 inhibits nuclear factor-κ-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 promoter activation: Implications for soft tissue sarcoma growth and metastasis

Human soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a highly lethal malignancy in which control of metastasis determines survival. Little is known about the molecular determinants of STS dissemination. Here, we show that human STS express high levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and that MMP-9 expression levels correlate with sequence analysis-defined p53 mutational status. Reintroduction of wild-type p53 (wtp53) into mutant p53 STS cell lines decreased MMP-9 mRNA and protein levels, decreased zymography-assessed MMP-9 proteolytic activity, and decreased tumor cell invasiveness. Reintroduction of wtp53 into STS xenografts decreased tumor growth and MMP-9 protein expression. Luciferase reporter studies showed that reintroduction of wtp53 into mutant p53 STS cells decreased MMP-9 promoter activity. Deletion constructs of the MMP-9 promoter identified a region containing a p53-responsive element that lacked a p53 consensus binding site but did contain a nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) site. Mutating this NF-κB binding site eliminated the wtp53-repressive effect. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed decreased NF-κB binding in STS cells in the presence of wtp53. Our findings suggest a role for MMP-9 in STS progression and expand the role of p53 in molecular control of STS growth and metastasis. Therapeutic interventions in human STS targeting MMP-9 activity directly or via reintroduction of wtp53 merit further investigation.