Differential p21 expression after ionizing and UVC radiation in EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cells

Responses to DNA-damaging agents appear to be coordinated by p53 through transcriptional activation of critical target genes. Among them, p21WAF1 encodes a protein preventing cells from entering S phase. It is not clear whether p53-mediated response varies depending on the type of DNA damage. Here, we have decided to compare the p53-mediated response of EBV-transformed lymphoblasts to ionizing radiation and UVC irradiation. We have shown that these cells respond to ionizing radiation by a cell cycle arrest as expected. Surprisingly they failed to do so after UVC treatment. Accordingly there was no significant induction of p21 protein in UVC exposed cells despite p53 accumulation. Using isogenic EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cells expressing E6 protein of HPV18, we have demonstrated that there was no evidence of p53-dependent cell cycle arrest after UVC irradiation. These observations suggest that the p53-mediated response to UVC, in contrast to ionizing radiation, was compromised in EBV-transformed cells and might be cell type-dependent.