Haploinsufficiency for Odc modifies mouse skin tumor susceptibility

Numerous studies have linked overexpression of ornithine decarboxylase (Odc) gene with enhanced susceptibility to mouse skin tumorigenesis. However, there is little experimental evidence suggesting that modest reductions in Odc expression might reduce tumor susceptibility. To address this issue, here we report the use of the Odc(+/-) haploinsufficiency model, in which one copy of the murine Odc gene has been inactivated by a homologous recombination. Compared with Odc(+/-) mice, Odc(+/-) mice exhibit reduced epidermal ODC enzyme activity and polyamine accumulation following treatment with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Furthermore, following chronic TPA treatment, the characteristic hyperplastic response of the epidermis was diminished in Odc(+/-) mice. Finally, when subjected to a two-stage initiation-promotion protocol, substantially fewer skin papillomas developed in Odc(+/-) mice compared with wild-type littermates. These results support the concept that differences in tissue polyamine levels, resulting from either overexpression or reductions in ODC, are important modifiers of tumor susceptibility.