Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P04637 (p53)
 77,613 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Normal human keratinocytes have a finite replicative lifespan which culminates in senescence. Chromosomal telomere length may act as a mediator of replicative senescence, signalling cell cycle arrest in G1 when one or more telomeres become too short. Telomeric attrition in normal keratinocytes may be due to inadequate levels of telomerase activity and possibly also to oxidative damage. In advanced squamous cell carcinoma replicative senescence breaks down to yield immortal variants, in which several dominantly acting genes are functionally compromised, including p53 and the cyclin D-Cdk4/6 inhibitor CDKN2A/p16. The increased activity of both of these proteins would be expected to contribute to the G1 arrest in senescence and we have shown that levels of p16 are dramatically increased in senescent keratinocytes. In addition, two other genes which control a cell cycle G1 checkpoint independently of p53 and pRb appear dysfunctional. These genes are uncloned but map to chromosome 4q and 7q31.1 and appear to represent senescence complementation groups B and D, respectively. In immortal neoplastic keratinocytes, telomerase is strongly upregulated and there is evidence for a suppressor of the enzyme on the short arm of chromosome 3 mapping to 3p21.2-p21.3. We have also mapped the human telomerase RNA gene to 3q26.3 and found it to be overrepresented or amplified in a proportion of squamous cell tumours and cell lines. These observations may explain why isochromosome 3q is so common in human squamous carcinoma. None of these genetic alterations are seen in carcinomas which senesce and suggest that multiple genetic alterations are required for keratinocyte immortality.
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PMID:The genetic basis of human keratinocyte immortalisation in squamous cell carcinoma development: the role of telomerase reactivation. 928 11

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors. Recently, distinct molecular genetic alterations have been linked to subgroups of patients with GBM. Giant cell (gc)GBMs are a rare variant of GBM characterized by a marked preponderance of multinucleated giant cells. Several reports have associated this entity with a more favorable prognosis than the majority of GBMs. To evaluate whether gcGBM may also represent a genetically defined subgroup of GBM, we analyzed a series of 19 gcGBMs for mutations in the TP53 gene for amplification of the EGFR and CDK4 genes and for homozygous deletions in the CDKN2A (p16/MTS1) gene. Seventeen of nineteen gcGBMs carried TP53 mutations whereas EGFR and CDK4 gene amplification was seen in only one tumor each and homozygous deletion of CDKN2A was not observed at all. The strikingly high incidence of TP53 mutations and the relative absence of other genetic alterations groups gcGBM together with a previously recognized molecular genetic variant of GBM (type 1 GBM). It is tempting to speculate that the better prognosis of gcGBM patients may result from the low incidence of EGFR amplification and CDKN2A deletion, changes known for their growth-promoting potential.
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PMID:Molecular genetic analysis of giant cell glioblastomas. 928 34

Nineteen benign [World Health Organization (WHO) grade I; MI], 21 atypical (WHO grade II; MII), and 19 anaplastic (WHO grade III; MIII) sporadic meningiomas were screened for chromosomal imbalances by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). These data were supplemented by molecular genetic analyses of selected chromosomal regions and genes. With increasing malignancy grade, a marked accumulation of genomic aberrations was observed; i.e., the numbers (mean +/- SEM) of total alterations detected per tumor were 2.9 +/- 0.7 for MI, 9.2 +/- 1.2 for MII, and 13.3 +/- 1.9 for MIII. The most frequent alteration detected in MI was loss on 22q (58%). In MII, aberrations most commonly identified were losses on 1p (76%), 22q (71%), 14q (43%), 18q (43%), 10 (38%), and 6q (33%), as well as gains on 20q (48%), 12q (43%), 15q (43%), 1q (33%), 9q (33%), and 17q (33%). In MIII, most of these alterations were found at similar frequencies. However, an increase in losses on 6q (53%), 10 (68%), and 14q (63%) was observed. In addition, 32% of MIII demonstrated loss on 9p. Homozygous deletions in the CDKN2A gene at 9p21 were found in 4 of 16 MIII (25%). Highly amplified DNA sequences were mapped to 12q13-q15 by CGH in 1 MII. Southern blot analysis of this tumor revealed amplification of CDK4 and MDM2. By CGH, DNA sequences from 17q were found to be amplified in 1 MII and 8 MIII, involving 17q23 in all cases. Despite the high frequency of chromosomal aberrations in the MII and MIII investigated, none of these tumors showed mutations in exons 5-8 of the TP53 gene. On the basis of the most common aberrations identified in the various malignancy grades, a model for the genomic alterations associated with meningioma progression is proposed.
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PMID:Analysis of genomic alterations in benign, atypical, and anaplastic meningiomas: toward a genetic model of meningioma progression. 940 79

Since its discovery as a CDKI (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor) in 1993, the tumor suppressor p16 (INK4A/MTS-1/CDKN2A) has gained widespread importance in cancer. The frequent mutations and deletions of p16 in human cancer cell lines first suggested an important role for p16 in carcinogenesis. This genetic evidence for a causal role was significantly strengthened by the observation that p16 was frequently inactivated in familial melanoma kindreds. Since then, a high frequency of p16 gene alterations were observed in many primary tumors. In human neoplasms, p16 is silenced in at least three ways: homozygous deletion, methylation of the promoter, and point mutation. The first two mechanisms comprise the majority of inactivation events in most primary tumors. Additionally, the loss of p16 may be an early event in cancer progression, because deletion of at least one copy is quite high in some premalignant lesions. p16 is a major target in carcinogenesis, rivaled in frequency only by the p53 tumor-suppressor gene. Its mechanism of action as a CDKI has been elegantly elucidated and involves binding to and inactivating the cyclin D-cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (or 6) complex, and thus renders the retinoblastoma protein inactive. This effect blocks the transcription of important cell-cycle regulatory proteins and results in cell-cycle arrest. Although p16 may be involved in cell senescence, the physiologic role of p16 is still unclear. Future work will focus on studies of the upstream events that lead to p16 expression and its mechanism of regulation, and perhaps lead to better therapeutic strategies that can improve the clinical course of many lethal cancers.
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PMID:Role of the p16 tumor suppressor gene in cancer. 950 8

Familial juvenile polyposis (FJP) is a hamartomatouspolyposis syndrome in which affected family members develop upper and lower gastrointestinal juvenile polyps and are at increased risk for gastrointestinal cancer. A genetic locus for FJP has not yet been identified by linkage; therefore, the objective of this study was to perform a focused genome screen in a large family segregating FJP. No evidence for linkage was found with markers near MSH2, MLH1, MCC, APC, HMPS, CDKN2A, JP1, PTEN, KRAS2, TP53, or LKB1. Linkage to FJP was established with several markers from chromosome 18q21.1. The maximum LOD score was 5.00, with marker D18S1099 (recombination fraction of .001). Analysis of critical recombinants places the FJP gene in an 11.9-cM interval bounded by D18S1118 and D18S487, a region that also contains the tumor-suppressor genes DCC and DPC4. These data demonstrate localization of a gene for FJP to chromosome 18q21.1 by linkage, and they raise the possibility that either DCC or DPC4 could be responsible for FJP.
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PMID:A gene for familial juvenile polyposis maps to chromosome 18q21.1. 954 10

Twenty primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL) from immunocompetent patients (nineteen B-cell lymphomas and one T-cell lymphoma) were investigated for genetic alterations and/or expression of the genes BCL2, CCND1, CDK4, CDKN1A, CDKN2A, MDM2, MYC, RB1, REL, and TP53. The gene found to be altered most frequently was CDKN2A. Eight tumors (40%) showed homozygous and two tumors (10%) hemizygous CDKN2A deletions. Furthermore, methylation analysis of six PCNSL without homozygous CDKN2A loss revealed methylation of the CpG island within exon 1 of CDKN2A in three instances. Reverse transcription PCR analysis of CDKN2A mRNA expression was performed for 11 tumors and showed either no or weak signals. Similarly, immunocytochemistry for the CDKN2A gene product (p16) remained either completely negative or showed expression restricted to single tumor cells. None of the PCNSL showed amplification of CDK4. Similarly, investigation of CCND1 revealed no amplification, rearrangement or overexpression. The retinoblastoma protein was strongly expressed in all tumors. Only one PCNSL showed a mutation of the TP53 gene, i.e., a missense mutation at codon 248 (CGG to TGG:Arg to Trp). No evidence of BCL2 gene rearrangement was found in 11 tumors investigated. The bcl-2 protein, however, was strongly expressed in most tumors. None of the 20 PCNSL demonstrated gene amplification of MDM2, MYC or REL. In summary, inactivation of CDKN2A by either homozygous deletion or DNA methylation represents an important molecular mechanism in PCNSL. Mutation of the TP53 gene and alterations of the other genes investigated appear to be of minor significance in these tumors.
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PMID:Frequent inactivation of CDKN2A and rare mutation of TP53 in PCNSL. 954 85

Cancer is generally understood to be a genetic disease in the sense that somatic mutations are the cause of tumour initiation and development. Our knowledge of cancer-associated genes and gene products has evolved mainly over the past 20 years. The identification and characterization of tumour suppressor genes (TSGs) as normal growth-inhibiting or apoptosis-inducing genes have helped us to understand how mutations are tumorigenic. Various TSG encoding membrane-, cytosol-, or nuclear proteins have been identified. Tumor suppressor genes are often functionally inactive in cancer cells because of mutations of both parental gene copies. Many TSGs are associated with hereditary cancer diseases or syndromes caused by the existence of one mutant allele in the germ-line. Individuals who carry only one functional gene copy, are therefore at great risk of developing cancer. Several TSGs, such as TP53, RB1 and CDKN2A, encode proteins that are significant to the cell cycle. TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, showing changes in more than 50% of all solid tumours. Both DNA repair and apoptosis are stimulated by p53-induced transcription of genes involved in the two processes. The characterization of TSGs and their gene products has led to the identification of a number of new diagnostic and prognostic molecular genetic parameters in oncology. Furthermore, some TSGs are potentially among the most promising and important targets for gene therapy in cancer and other hyperproliferative diseases.
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PMID:[Tumor suppressors--genes and proteins]. 963 59

Germline mutations within the CDKN2A gene, coding for the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16, have been detected by screening in 8% of Swedish families with an inheritance of cutaneous melanoma (FMM) and dysplastic nevus syndrome (DNS). Contrastingly, the closely related gene CDKN2B had no disease-related mutations in these families. A majority of Swedish families with hereditary melanoma predisposition thus lack germline mutations in these cell cycle G1 checkpoint-regulating genes. Additional genes with the potential to contribute to increased melanoma risk may code for related components of the cell cycle-regulating machinery. The gene for cyclin-dependent kinase 4, CDK4, has been found in mutated form in the germline from individuals belonging to 2 melanoma kindreds in the United States. The CDKN2C gene coding for the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p18 is localized on 1p32, a region frequently involved in chromosomal changes in melanomas and other tumors. The TP53 suppressor gene, involved in cell cycle regulation and maintenance of genetic stability, is found mutated in the germline of patients with hereditary Li-Fraumeni syndrome, leading to early onset of several human cancers, including melanoma. The present investigation reports the results of screening the 100 Swedish melanoma families for germline mutations in the CDK4, CDKN2C and TP53 genes. No disease-related mutations were detected in the coding regions. A direct contribution of these genes to the hereditary risk for melanoma in members of Swedish melanoma kindreds therefore appears unlikely.
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PMID:Screening of germline mutations in the CDK4, CDKN2C and TP53 genes in familial melanoma: a clinic-based population study. 972 87

The two distinct proteins encoded by the CDKN2A locus are specified by translating the common second exon in alternative reading frames. The product of the alpha transcript, p16(INK4a), is a recognized tumour suppressor that induces a G1 cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein by the cyclin-dependent kinases, CDK4 and CDK6. In contrast, the product of the human CDKN2A beta transcript, p14(ARF), activates a p53 response manifest in elevated levels of MDM2 and p21(CIP1) and cell cycle arrest in both G1 and G2/M. As a consequence, p14(ARF)-induced cell cycle arrest is p53 dependent and can be abrogated by the co-expression of human papilloma virus E6 protein. p14(ARF) acts by binding directly to MDM2, resulting in the stabilization of both p53 and MDM2. Conversely, p53 negatively regulates p14(ARF) expression and there is an inverse correlation between p14(ARF) expression and p53 function in human tumour cell lines. However, p14(ARF) expression is not involved in the response to DNA damage. These results place p14(ARF) in an independent pathway upstream of p53 and imply that CDKN2A encodes two proteins that are involved in tumour suppression.
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PMID:The alternative product from the human CDKN2A locus, p14(ARF), participates in a regulatory feedback loop with p53 and MDM2. 972 36

We investigated the dynamics of the genetic changes that are associated with two types of glioma recurrence, that is, progression from a lower-grade to a high-grade tumor (7 cases) and development of a same high-grade recurrence (15 cases). Each pair of tumors was analyzed for TP53 mutation, EGFR amplification, and loss of heterozygosity for tumor suppressor genes (TP53, RB1, CDKN2A, PTEN, DMBT1) and tumor suppressor gene regions (1p36, 19q13, 11p15, 10p15) known to be frequently implicated in glioma tumorigenesis. By comparing the genetic changes in the primary and corresponding secondary tumors, we found that additional loss of CDKN2A and/or RB1, encoding important components of the cell cycle regulatory pathway, was the most frequent genetic change in both types of recurrence development (10 of 22 cases, 45%). Additional loss of heterozygosity for the 10p15 region, for PTEN, and/or for DMBT1 in the recurrent tumor was noted in 7 of 22 cases (32%), suggesting that additional inactivation of tumor suppressor genes on chromosome 10 is another important feature of glioma relapse. Less frequent additional losses were detected for chromosome regions 11p15 and 19q13 (3 of 22 cases, 14%, each). We conclude that glioma recurrences are characterized by an increased involvement of tumor suppressor genes, even in those cases in which the primary and secondary tumor are of the same high malignancy grade.
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PMID:Dynamics of genetic alterations associated with glioma recurrence. 973 18


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