Characterization of the p16 gene in the mouse: Evidence for a large gene family
- Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); and others
The p16 gene product is an inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4)/cyclin D complex. When uninhibited, the CDK4/cyclin D complex participates in the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma (RB) protein and renders it inactive. Upon inactivation of the RB protein, transition from the G{sub 1} to the S phase of mitosis occurs and results in cellular proliferation. Thus, p16 is presumed to act as a negative regulator of cell growth by preventing the phosphorylation, and thereby subsequent inactivation, of RB by CDK4/cyclin D. Recently, the p16 gene (also known as the multiple tumor suppressor 1 (MTS1) gene) has been mapped to chromosome 9p21 and found to be deleted or mutated in a number of tumor cell lines. These findings support the role of p16 as a growth inhibitor or tumor suppressor gene and suggest that the mutation of this gene may have global implications in carcinogenesis. We have chosen to test the functional significance of p16 mutations in vivo through the generation of a mouse mutant for p16. In preparation for this undertaking, eight apparently independent (as judged by restriction enzyme digestion and differential hybridization) mouse genomic embryonic stem cell clones have been identified using exon 2 from the human p16 gene as a probe. The identification of these multiple nonoverlapping clones was not entirely surprising since the reduced stringency hybridization of a zoo blot with the same probe also revealed 10-15 positive EcoRI fragments in all species tested, including human, monkey, cow, dog, cat, rabbit, hamster, mouse, chicken and D. melanogaster. Taken together, these findings suggest that the p16 gene is a member of a large gene family. The location of these genomic clones, as well as their potential expression in the mouse, is currently under investigation.
- OSTI ID:
- 133832
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941009-; ISSN 0002-9297; TRN: 95:005313-0565
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 55, Issue Suppl.3; Conference: 44. annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Montreal (Canada), 18-22 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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