%0 Journal Article %T 14-3-3σ/Stratifin and p21 limit AKT-related malignant progression in skin carcinogenesis following MDM2-associated p53 loss. %A McMenemy CM %A Guo D %A Quinn JA %A Greenhalgh DA %J Mol Carcinog %V 63 %N 9 %D 2024 Sep 13 %M 38869281 %F 5.139 %R 10.1002/mc.23771 %X To study mechanisms driving/inhibiting skin carcinogenesis, stage-specific expression of 14-3-3σ (Stratifin) was analyzed in skin carcinogenesis driven by activated rasHa/fos expression (HK1.ras/fos) and ablation of PTEN-mediated AKT regulation (K14.creP/Δ5PTENflx/flx). Consistent with 14-3-3σ roles in epidermal differentiation, HK1.ras hyperplasia and papillomas displayed elevated 14-3-3σ expression in supra-basal keratinocytes, paralleled by supra-basal p-MDM2166 activation and sporadic p-AKT473 expression. In bi-genic HK1.fos/Δ5PTENflx/flx hyperplasia, basal-layer 14-3-3σ expression appeared, and alongside p53/p21, was associated with keratinocyte differentiation and keratoacanthoma etiology. Tri-genic HK1.ras/fos-Δ5PTENflx/flx hyperplasia/papillomas initially displayed increased basal-layer 14-3-3σ, suggesting attempts to maintain supra-basal p-MDM2166 and protect basal-layer p53. However, HK1.ras/fos-Δ5PTENflx/flx papillomas exhibited increasing basal-layer p-MDM2166 activation that reduced p53, which coincided with malignant conversion. Despite p53 loss, 14-3-3σ expression persisted in well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas (wdSCCs) and alongside elevated p21, limited malignant progression via inhibiting p-AKT1473 expression; until 14-3-3σ/p21 loss facilitated progression to aggressive SCC exhibiting uniform p-AKT1473. Analysis of TPA-promoted HK1.ras-Δ5PTENflx/flx mouse skin, demonstrated early loss of 14-3-3σ/p53/p21 in hyperplasia and papillomas, with increased p-MDM2166/p-AKT1473 that resulted in rapid malignant conversion and progression to poorly differentiated SCC. In 2D/3D cultures, membranous 14-3-3σ expression observed in normal HaCaT and SP1ras61 papilloma keratinocytes was unexpectedly detected in malignant T52ras61/v-fos SCC cells cultured in monolayers, but not invasive 3D-cells. Collectively, these data suggest 14-3-3σ/Stratifin exerts suppressive roles in papillomatogenesis via MDM2/p53-dependent mechanisms; while persistent p53-independent expression in early wdSCC may involve p21-mediated AKT1 inhibition to limit malignant progression.