Overexpression of ADAR1 in mice does not initiate or accelerate cancer formationin vivo

ABSTRACT Adenosine to inosine editing (A-to-I) in regions of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) is mediated by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) or ADAR2. ADAR1 and A-to-I editing levels are increased in many human cancers. It is not established if elevated ADAR1 represents a driver or passenger during cancer formation. We established a series of murine alleles to allow in vivo overexpression of ADAR1, its individual isoforms or mutant forms of ADAR1 to understand how it contributes to cancer pathogenesis. The widespread overexpression of ADAR1 or either the p110 or p150 isoforms as sole lesions was well tolerated and did not result in cancer formation. Therefore, ADAR1 overexpression alone is not sufficient to initiate cancer. We demonstrate that endogenous ADAR1 and A-to-I editing levels increased upon immortalization by loss of p53 in murine cells, consistent with the observations from human cancers. We tested if ADAR1 overexpression could co- operate with cancer initiated by loss of tumour suppressors using a model of osteosarcoma. We did not see a disease potentiating or modifying effect of overexpressing ADAR1 or its isoforms. We conclude that the increase in ADAR1 expression and A-to-I editing in cancers is a passenger, rather than a driver, of tumor formation.