Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.11.22 (cdc2)
 8,319 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (cdk4) inhibitor (p16INK4/MTS1/CDKN2) gene has been recently identified as a putative tumor suppressor gene because of the high frequency of homozygous deletion observed in numerous human tumor cell lines, including leukemias. However, results obtained from uncultured tumor samples have led to discussion of the relevance of these findings. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blot analysis, we have investigated p16INK4A gene at both RNA and genomic levels in various types of leukemias: acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (n = 23); acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) (n = 22) and B cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (CLPD) (n = 33). p16INK4A mRNA expression was not found in only 1/20 AML and 2/23 CLPD samples. Conversely, p16INK4A mRNA was not detected in 5/17 ALL cases, and intensity of PCR products were barely detectable in seven additional cases, possibly related to the contamination by normal cells in some cases. By Southern blotting, a homozygous deletion of p16INK4A gene was found in 6/17 ALL cases (35%) among which 4/6 were negative or weakly positive by RT-PCR assay. None of the five AML and 20 CLL samples studied had p16INK4A deletion. Sequence analysis of p16INK4A exon 2 did not show point mutation in two of these cases lacking mRNA expression. Our data provide further evidence that among hematological malignancies, ALL are the most likely to be associated with p16INK4A inactivation, mainly by homozygous gene deletion. Since most hematological malignancies-except ALL-are infrequently associated with p16INK4A and retinoblastoma (Rb) gene alteration it seems worthwhile to explore cdk4 and cdk6 expression to determine whether or not the disruption of the p16INK4A/Rb/cdk4/cdk6 regulatory loop might play a role in their pathogenesis.
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PMID:Alterations of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 inhibitor (p16INK4A/MTS1) gene structure and expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemias. 763 Jan 99

The genes of murine cyclin D-dependent kinase inhibitors, p15INK4b and p16INK4a, are located in a region of chromosome 4 where overlapping deletions were found in lung adenocarcinomas. The p16INK4a gene uniquely consists of alternative first exons (E1alpha and E1beta), which are spliced to exon 2 in alternative reading frames to either encode p16INK4a (alpha form) or another potential tumor suppressor, p19ARF (beta form). We examined 99 lung adenocarcinomas of C3H/HeJ x A/J F1(C3AF1) and A/J x C3H/HeJ F1(AC3F1) mouse hybrids and 18 (13 metastatic, 5 nonmetastatic) tumorigenic mouse lung epithelial cell lines for p15INK4b and p16INK4a gene inactivation. Homozygous codeletion occurred in eight of the 13 (62%) metastatic, four of the five (80%) nonmetastatic cell lines, but in only six of 99 (6%) adenocarcinomas. Neither p15INK4b nor p16INK4a gene was individually deleted in any of the tumors or cell lines, and all deletions of the p16INK4a gene extended into exon 2, which would be expected to disrupt the functions of both p16INK4a and p19ARF. We also detected no intragenic mutations of either gene in 44 tumors that displayed loss of heterozygosity at the p16INK4a locus or in any of the cell lines. Transcript levels of p16INK4a-alpha, p16INK4a-beta and p15INK4b also were examined in each of the cell lines that retained copies of these genes. Whereas an immortal mouse lung epithelial cell line (E10) and two metastatic tumor cell lines (LM1 and E9) expressed p16INK4a-beta and p15INK4b mRNA, the alpha transcript of p16INK4a was detected in only the LM1 cell line. These results suggest that both p15INK4b and p16INK4a (alpha and beta) are targets of inactivation in mouse lung tumorigenesis.
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PMID:Homozygous codeletion and differential decreased expression of p15INK4b, p16INK4a-alpha and p16INK4a-beta in mouse lung tumor cells. 893 34

The INK4a gene, one of the most frequently disrupted tumor suppressor loci in human cancer, encodes two unrelated proteins, p16INK4a and p19ARF, each of which is capable of inducing cell cycle arrest. Splicing of alternative first exons (1 alpha vs. 1 beta) to a common second exon within INK4a generates mRNAs in which exon 2 sequences are translated in two different reading frames. One of the products, the cyclin D-dependent kinase inhibitor p16INK4a, is functionally inactivated by mutations or deletions in a wide variety of cancers. However, because many such mutations reside in exon 2, they also affect the alternative reading frame (ARF) protein. To determine whether such mutations disrupt p19ARF function, we introduced naturally occurring missense mutations into mouse INK4a exon 2 sequences and tested mutant p16INK4a and p19ARF proteins for their ability to inhibit cell cycle progression. Six p19ARF point mutants remained fully active in mediating cell cycle arrest in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, whereas two of the corresponding mutations within p16INK4a resulted in complete loss of activity. Analysis of p19ARF deletion mutants indicated that the unique aminoterminal domain encoded by exon 1 beta was both necessary and sufficient for inducing G1 arrest. Therefore, cancer-associated mutations within exon 2 of the INK4a gene specifically target p16INK4a, and not p19ARF, for inactivation.
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PMID:Cancer-associated mutations at the INK4a locus cancel cell cycle arrest by p16INK4a but not by the alternative reading frame protein p19ARF. 901 42

During the three last years, the so-called p16 locus on human chromosome band 9p21 has been increasingly implicated in different cancers by a variety of alterations abolishing both copies of the p16INK4a/MTS1/CDKN2 gene and the adjacent p15INK4b gene, two members of a family of specific inhibitors of the cyclin D 1-3-CDK4/6 complexes that control cell cycle progression of the G1 to S phase. While these properties are characteristic of tumor suppressor genes, abundant experimental data have clearly identified a link between the loss of function of p16INK4a and tumorigenic processes. The role of p15INK4b alterations in the onset of natural and experimental tumors is less obvious. New light may be shed on the role of the p16 locus in tumor development by the recent finding that an alternative transcript from the p16INK4a gene encodes p19ARF, a negative regulator of cell cycle progression which is unrelated to p16 and p15 and does not act by binding any CDK. Hence, this protein appears to be an element of a novel negative cell cycle control mechanism, whose impairing might be involved in tumorigenesis.
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PMID:Contribution of the dual coding capacity of the p16INK4a/MTS1/CDKN2 locus to human malignancies. 955 10

p19ARF encoded by the INK4a tumor suppressor gene locus functions upstream of p53 to induce cell cycle arrest. p19ARF can interact with MDM2 and p53 in cells ectopically overexpressing these three components, but the biochemical cascades from p19ARF to cell cycle arrest has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we generated stably transfected NIH3T3 cells that express exogenous p19ARF under the control of a heavy metal-inducible metalothionine promoter. Cells arrested in G1 by ectopically expressed p19ARF contained considerably reduced G1 cyclin dependent kinase (cdk2 and cdk4) activities. The expression of cyclin A (a regulatory subunit of cdk2) markedly decreased, while cyclin D1, the major cdk4 partner in fibroblasts, expressed at a slightly higher level and formed complexes with cdk2 and cdk6 in addition to cdk4. Induction of p19ARF activated p53 by increasing its stability, and allowed the expression of p21Cip1, which bound to all of the cyclin D1-cdk complexes (cyclin D1-cdk2, -cdk4, and -cdk6) thereby inhibiting their kinase activities. p19ARF formed complexes with several cellular proteins including mouse MDM2. The majority of MDM2 was found in the complex with p19ARF, while no p53 was detected in association with p19ARF. Thus, we propose that p19ARF neutralizes MDM2 by sequestration from p53, which results in activation of p53, inhibition of G1 cyclin-cdk activities, and G1 arrest.
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PMID:p19ARF prevents G1 cyclin-dependent kinase activation by interacting with MDM2 and activating p53 in mouse fibroblasts. 1034 46

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2a (Cdkn2a) locus encodes two distinct tumor suppressors, p16INK4a and p19ARF, whose functions interrelate in the regulation of cell proliferation as key components of the retinoblastoma and p53 pathways, respectively. In many types of cancer, alterations of Cdkn2a abrogate the functions of both suppressors, implying that both are integral to the genesis of certain cancer types. While this has been observed in mouse lung adenocarcinogenesis, recent observations also suggested that naturally occurring variation at the Cdkn2a locus is probably operative in the development of these tumors. Firstly, two common haplotypes of mouse Cdkn2a have been identified, each of which encodes cosegregating variants of p16INK4a and p19ARF. The p16INK4a variants differ at amino acids 18 (histidine or proline) and 51 (valine or isoleucine), whereas the p19ARF variants differ only at amino acid 72 (histidine or arginine). Secondly, genetic resistance to lung tumor formation appears to segregate with one particular haplotype, which also is deleted preferentially in lung adenocarcinomas of Cdkn2a heterozygous mice. Here we attempt to explain these observations and to characterize further the roles of p16INK4 and p19ARF in mouse lung tumorigenesis by examining the function and expression of each of the variants of Cdkn2a. Functional analysis showed that the proline 18/isoleucine 51 p16INK4a variant was diminished in cdk6 binding, cdk6 inhibition and NIH/3T3 fibroblast growth suppression compared with the histidine 18/valine 51 variant, whereas both of the p19ARF variants suppressed growth with similar potencies. Also, the different alleles for p16INK4a and p19ARF were transcribed equally in the normal lungs of Cdkn2a heterozygotes, as determined by comparative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis. These results indicate that strain-specific variation in p16INK4a function is exploited in mouse lung tumorigenesis and strongly implicate a role for p16INK4a in lung cancer predisposition and development.
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PMID:Cdkn2a encodes functional variation of p16INK4a but not p19ARF, which confers selection in mouse lung tumorigenesis. 1036 10

The present study investigates nitrosourea-induced rat (Rattus norvegicus) glioma cell lines for the functional status of the p16/Cdkn2a/Ink4a gene, which encodes the p16 cdk4 inhibitor and the alternative reading frame protein, p19ARF. We detected homozygous deletions of the p16/Cdkn2a/Ink4a gene locus in 4 of 5 glioma cell lines (C6, F98, RG2, and RGL.3), but not in the 9L gliosarcoma cell line or in a rat primary fibroblast cell line. RT-PCR demonstrated expression of the p16 and p19ARF mRNAs only in 9L cells and in rat fibroblasts. Comparative genomic in situ hybridization showed that the copy number of rat chromosome RNO5 was not altered in any of the glioma cell lines investigated, indicating that the deletions result from a discrete loss in the region of the p16/Cdkn2a/Ink4a locus. This is the first report of p16/Cdkn2a/Ink4a deletions present in nitrosourea-induced rat glioma cell lines. Since this genetic alteration is also commonly observed in human malignant glial tumors, our results validate the use of chemically induced rat glioma cell lines as an experimental model in the development of gene therapy strategies.
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PMID:The p16/Cdkn2a/Ink4a gene is frequently deleted in nitrosourea-induced rat glial tumors. 1073 82

Previous studies have shown that TGFbeta1 expression is upregulated in mouse keratinocytes infected with a v-rasHa retrovirus, although the functional significance of this has not been clear. Here we show that v-rasHa retrovirus transduced primary mouse keratinocytes undergo hyperproliferation followed by a TGFbeta1 dependent G1 growth arrest and senescence. The growth arrest is accompanied by a 15-fold increase in total TGFbeta1 secreted and a fourfold increase in secreted active TGFbeta1. When cultured in the presence of a neutralizing antibody to TGFbeta1, the senescence response is suppressed. Levels of the TGFbeta1 target p15ink4b increase during senescence as does association of this kinase inhibitor with cyclinD/cdk4 complexes. However, p16ink4a, p53 and p19ARF expression also increase during senescence. Genetic analysis shows that TGFbeta1 null and dominant negative TbetaBRII expressing v-rasHa keratinocytes resist the G1 growth arrest and do not senescence. This resistance is associated with low expression of p15ink4b and p16ink4a, constitutive Rb phosphorylation and high levels of cdk4 and cdk2 kinase activity. In contrast, inactivation of TGFbetabeta1 secretion or response does not block the induction of p53 and p19ARF, but the level of p21waf1, a p53 target gene, is reduced in cyclin D/cdk4 and cyclin E/cdk2 complexes. Thus, although multiple senescence pathways are activated in response to a ras oncogene, inactivation of TGFbeta1 secretion or response is sufficient to block the senescence program. Since v-rasHa transduced TGFbeta1-/- keratinocytes form squamous cell carcinomas following skin grafting, these results suggest that in mouse keratinocytes, defects in TGFbeta1 signaling accelerate malignant progression by overcoming oncogene induced replicative senescence.
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PMID:Defects in TGF-beta signaling overcome senescence of mouse keratinocytes expressing v-Ha-ras. 1076 27

Apart from their coordinated inactivation by DNA tumor viral oncoproteins, the pRB and p53 tumor suppressor pathways were not known to be connected ten years ago. Within the last decade, our appreciation of how these pathways are interconnected has grown substantially. The checks and balances that exist between pRB and p53 involve the regulation of the G1/S transition and its checkpoints, and much of this is under the control of the E2F transcription factor family. Following DNA damage, the p53-dependent induction of p21CIP1 regulates cyclin E/Cdk2 and cyclin A/Cdk2 complexes both of which phosphorylate pRB, leading to E2F-mediated activation. Similarly, E2F1-dependent induction of p19ARF antagonizes the ability of mdm2 to degrade p53, leading to p53 stabilization and potentially p53-mediated apoptosis or cell cycle arrest. From the existing mouse models discussed above, we also know that proliferation, cell death and differentiation of distinct tissues are also intimately linked through entrance and exit from the cell cycle, and thus through pRB and p53 pathways. Virtually all human tumors deregulate either the pRB or p53 pathway, and often times both pathways simultaneously, which is critical for crippling cellular defense against neoplasia. The next decade of cancer research will likely see these two tumor suppressor pathways only merge even more.
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PMID:Role of the RB tumor suppressor in cancer. 1261 99

Cks1 plays an essential role in SCFSkp2-mediated ubiquitination, and consequently turnover, of the cdk2 inhibitor and tumor supressor p27Kip1. High Cks1 expression is associated with aggressive breast tumors and correlates with low p27Kip1 levels in some cases, although it is also an independent prognostic marker for survival, and provides predictive information in addition to that provided by p27Kip1 alone. In this report we demonstrate that Cks1 protein and mRNA are elevated to very high levels in mammary tumors initiated by erbB2, c-myc and polyoma middle-T (PyMT) in transgenic mice, whereas Cks1 protein is hardly detectable in the normal mammary epithelium. Cks1 is also highly upregulated in rat mammary tumors initiated by methylnitrosourea (MNU). Despite high levels of Cks1 expression, p27Kip1 levels were not reduced, and were in fact slightly higher in mammary tumors initiated by erbB2, PyMT and MNU. In contrast mammary tumors from MMTV-c-myc mice did exhibit low p27Kip1 and higher levels of Skp2. Together, these data suggest that deregulated Cks1 expression might play roles in oncogene and carcinogen-initiated mammary tumorigenesis independent of p27Kip1 turnover in certain tumors. Stable overexpression of Cks1 in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells did not significantly reduce p27Kip1 expression, although it conferred resistance to Faslodex (ICI 182780)-mediated inhibition of colony outgrowth in these cells. In contrast, Cks1-depleted MCF-7 cells formed fewer colonies in estrogen-containing medium. Therefore, our studies also suggest that Cks1 levels regulate the responsiveness of ER+ breast cancers to estrogens and anti-estrogens.
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PMID:High Cks1 expression in transgenic and carcinogen-initiated mammary tumors is not always accompanied by reduction in p27Kip1. 1936 Mar 56


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