Loss of p14ARF confers resistance to heat shock‐ and oxidative stress‐mediated cell death by upregulating β‐catenin

The p14ARF is a key tumor suppressor induced mainly by oncogenic stimuli. Although p14ARF does not seem to respond to DNA damage, there are very few data regarding its role in other forms of stress, such as heat shock (HS) and oxidative stress (OS). Here, we report that suppression of p14ARF increased resistance to cell death when cells were treated with H2O2 or subjected to HS. In this setting, protection from cell death was mediated by elevated levels and activity of β-catenin, as downregulation of β-catenin alleviated the protective role of p14ARF silencing. Moreover, Hsp70 was shown to regulate β-catenin protein levels by interacting with p14ARF, suggesting that Hsp70, p14ARF and β-catenin form a regulatory network. This novel pathway triggers cell death signals when cells are exposed to HS and OS.