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)

C/EBPalpha has a role in growth arrest and differentiation of mouse preadipocytes. To study the mechanism of C/EBPalpha-induced growth arrest, we developed a cell line, HT1, that contained the human C/EBPalpha gene under Lac repressor control. IPTG-induced C/EBPalpha caused inhibition of cell proliferation and DNA synthesis as measured by colony growth assays, cell counting, and BrdU uptake. A number of proteins that are known to be involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, such as cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)2 and CDK4, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53, c-fos, and the CDK inhibitor p16 and p27 were investigated by Western analysis. No change in their expression was observed. However, the p21 (WAF-1/CIP-1/SDI-1) protein was significantly elevated in growth-arrested HT1 cells. Elevation of p21/SDI-1 mRNA (threefold) and activation of the p21/SDI-1 promoter by C/EBPalpha did not account for the 12- to 20-fold increase in p21/SDI-1 protein. Protein synthesis inhibition by cycloheximide (CHX) treatment indicated that the half-life of p21/SDI-1 in dividing HT1 cells was approximately 30 min. However, in C/EBPalpha growth-arrested cells, the level of the p21/SDI-1 did not change for > 80 min after CHX addition. Our studies demonstrate that C/EBPalpha activates p21/SDI-1 by increasing p21/SDI-1 gene expression and by post-translational stabilization of p21/SDI-1 protein. Furthermore, induction of p21/SDI-1 is responsible for the ability of C/EBPalpha to inhibit proliferation because transcription of antisense p21/SDI-1 mRNA eliminated growth inhibition by C/EBPalpha.
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PMID:CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBP alpha) inhibits cell proliferation through the p21 (WAF-1/CIP-1/SDI-1) protein. 884 17

Eukaryotic cell cycle progression is controlled by a host of cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), that are themselves regulated by multiple factors, including a group of small cyclin-Cdk inhibitor proteins (p15, p16, p21 and p27). The involvement of Cdk inhibitors in carcinogenesis has been demonstrated by the studies of p16. p53 is frequently mutated in thyroid carcinomas and p21/Waf1 is a downstream effector of p53. It is conceivable that genetic defects of genes downstream in the p53 pathway could also be oncogenic. We, therefore, examined a series of 57 thyroid tumour specimens (eight follicular adenomas and 49 carcinomas) for deletion and point mutation of the p21/Waf1 gene. Three different kinds of deletions ranging from 349 to 450 bp were detected in five papillary carcinoma specimens by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All the deletions were involved in the second exon of the p21/Waf1 gene. RT-PCR single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of remaining samples failed to reveal any point mutations in the coding region of the gene, except for a polymorphism at codon 31 (Ser to Arg). Genomic Southern blot analysis did not demonstrate any gene deletion or rearrangement in these samples, indicating abnormal RNA splicing may be involved. Analysis of intron-exon boundary and the coding region of the second exon did not reveal any mutation except for a point mutation (C to G) located 16 bp downstream from the splice donor site of the second intron in three out of five samples with p21/Waf1 deletions. Whether the mutation plays any role in aberrant RNA splicing remains to be determined. Among the five samples with p21/Waf1 gene deletions, none of them simultaneously carried a p53 or retinoblastoma (Rb) gene mutation. No p21/Waf1 abnormality was found in the benign adenomas. Thus, 12.5% (5/40) of thyroid papillary carcinoma specimens harboured p21/Waf1 gene deletions. Our data suggest that p21/Waf1 gene deletion is involved in thyroid carcinogenesis and may play an important role in thyroid cell transformation.
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PMID:Evidence of gene deletion of p21 (WAF1/CIP1), a cyclin-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, in thyroid carcinomas. 891 26

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) immediate early transactivator Zta is a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor that causes G0/G1 cell cycle arrest through induction of the tumor suppressor protein, p53, and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p21 and p27 (Cayrol, C., and Flemington, E. K. (1996) EMBO J. 15, 2748-2759). Here, we report a genetic analysis of Zta-mediated G0/G1 growth arrest and p21 induction. The majority of the Zta transactivation domain can be deleted (ZDelta1-128) without significantly affecting the ability of Zta to elicit growth arrest. A larger amino-terminal deletion (ZDelta1-167) abrogates the ability of Zta to inhibit proliferation, mapping the growth-inhibitory domain to a carboxyl-terminal region encompassing the bZIP domain (amino acids 128-245). The integrity of the bZIP domain is required for growth suppression since a two-amino acid mutant which is defective for homodimerization, fails to induce cell cycle arrest. Western blot analysis of p21 expression in cells expressing Zta mutants reveals that the ability of Zta mutants to cause G0/G1 growth arrest is intimately related to their capacity to induce p21 expression. Together, these data demonstrate that a carboxyl-terminal region of Zta that includes the bZIP domain is sufficient to mediate G0/G1 growth arrest and p21 induction.
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PMID:G0/G1 growth arrest mediated by a region encompassing the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) domain of the Epstein-Barr virus transactivator Zta. 894 19

p21Cip1/WAF1 was the first cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor to be identified, as a mediator of p53 in DNA damage-induced growth arrest, cell senescence, and direct CDK regulation. p21 may also play an important role in differentiation-associated growth arrest, as its expression is augmented in many terminally differentiating cells. A general involvement of p21 in growth/differentiation control and tumor suppression has been questioned, as mice lacking p21 undergo a normal development, harbor no gross alterations in any of their organs, and exhibit no increase in spontaneous tumor development. However, a significant imbalance between growth and differentiation could be unmasked under conditions where normal homeostatic mechanisms are impaired. We report here that primary keratinocytes derived from p21 knockout mice, transformed with a ras oncogene, and injected subcutaneously into nude mice exhibit a very aggressive tumorigenic behavior, which is not observed with wild-type control keratinocytes nor with keratinocytes with a disruption of the closely related p27 gene. p21 knockout keratinocytes tested under well-defined in vitro conditions show a significantly increased proliferative potential, which is also observed but to a lesser extent with p27 knockout cells. More profound differences were found in the differentiation behavior of p21 versus p27 knockout keratinocytes, with p21 (but not p27) deficiency causing a drastic down-modulation of differentiation markers linked with the late stages of the keratinocyte terminal differentiation program. Thus, our results reveal a so far undetected role of p21 in tumor suppression, demonstrate that this function is specific as it cannot be attributed to the closely related p27 molecule, and point to an essential involvement of p21 in terminal differentiation control, which may account for its role in tumor suppression.
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PMID:The absence of p21Cip1/WAF1 alters keratinocyte growth and differentiation and promotes ras-tumor progression. 895 6

The cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor known as p21, which is transcriptionally regulated by p53, can induce G1 arrest when overexpressed and inhibit the kinase activity of a wide variety of cyclin-Cdk complexes. Previous studies have demonstrated that a portion of the conserved region of p21 (amino acids 46-78), which is homologous to similar regions in the related Cdk inhibitors p27 and p57, can bind to Cdk2, and that this region is essential for kinase inhibition. However, the site(s) on Cdk2 that are involved in p21 binding have not been identified. We therefore created mutant Cdk2 molecules with various N-terminal and C-terminal deletions and tested each for their ability to bind to p21 by the yeast two-hybrid and the double-tagging assays. None of the deletion mutants tested bound to p21 by either assay. We next tested whether p21 could bind to Cdk7, a component of the cyclin-activating kinase complex. By both the double-tagging and yeast two-hybrid assays, p21 failed to bind to this protein, consistent with previous reports. However, hybrid molecules consisting of the amino-terminal half of Cdk2 and the carboxy-terminal half of Cdk7 (Cdk2/Cdk7) could bind to p21 by both assays, whereas the Cdk7/Cdk2 hybrids could not. Furthermore, the yeast Cdc28 protein, which is 65% identical with Cdk2, failed to bind to p21 by both the yeast two-hybrid and double-tagging assays. Cdk2/Cdc28 hybrids but not Cdc28/Cdk2 hybrids could bind to p21. These results suggest that the amino-terminal half of Cdk2 is important for p21 binding, consistent with the recently published crystal-lographic data. Our data also suggest that the three-dimensional structure of Cdk2 is likely altered by creating deletion mutants from either the amino- or carboxy-terminal end of the protein. Finally, we have mutated the Cdc28/Cdk2 hybrid protein and isolated several mutants, which are able to bind to p21. This approach may be useful for identifying residues in Cdk2 and Cdc28 that affect their ability to bind to p21 and complement the crystallographic data.
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PMID:The amino terminus of Cdk2 binds p21. 897 68

Mutations in certain genes that regulate the cell cycle, such as p16 and p53, are frequently found in human cancers. However, tumor-specific mutations are uncommon in genes encoding cyclin E and the CDK inhibitor p27Kip1, two cell-cycle regulators that are also thought to contribute to tumor progression. It is now known that levels of both cyclin E and p27 can be controlled by posttranscriptional mechanisms, indicating that expression of these proteins can be altered by means other than simply mutation of their respective genes. Thus, changes in p27 and cyclin E protein levels in tumors might be more common than previously anticipated and may be indicators of tumor behavior.
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PMID:Expression of cell-cycle regulators p27Kip1 and cyclin E, alone and in combination, correlate with survival in young breast cancer patients. 901 30

Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis is involved in the turnover of many short-lived regulatory proteins. This pathway leads to the covalent attachment of one or more multiubiquitin chains to target substrates which are then degraded by the 26S multicatalytic proteasome complex. Multiple classes of regulatory enzymes have been identified that mediate either ubiquitin conjugation or ubiquitin deconjugation from target substrates. Timed destruction of cellular regulators by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway plays a critical role in ensuring normal cellular processes. This review provides multiple examples of key growth regulatory proteins whose levels are regulated by ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Pharmacological intervention which alters the half-lives of these cellular proteins may have wide therapeutic potential. Specifically, prevention of p53 ubiquitination (and subsequent degradation) in human papilloma virus positive tumors, and perhaps all tumors retaining wild-type p53 but lacking the retinoblastoma gene function, should lead to programmed cell death. Specific inhibitors of p27 and cyclin B ubiquitination are predicted to be potent antiproliferative agents. Inhibitors of IkappaB ubiquitination should prevent NFkappaB activation and may have utility in a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Finally, we present a case for deubiquitination enzymes as novel, potential drug targets.
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PMID:The ubiquitin-mediated proteolytic pathway as a therapeutic area. 902 Mar 79

Expression of cell cycle regulatory genes in mouse lung was investigated in transgenic models for Clara cell transformation. Clara cells were transformed by generating transgenic mice in which the SV40 large T antigen was expressed under the control of the mouse Clara cell M(r) 10,000 protein promoter. The resulting lung tumors express the large T antigen in normal Clara cells and in tumors, and these tumors express reduced levels of CC10 mRNA. The expression of cell cycle regulatory protein, p53, and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors was analyzed by Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization throughout the progression of Clara cell transformation in the lung. Increases in specific cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor steady-state mRNA levels were detected in p15, p18, p27, and p57 during tumor progression. The expression of p15, p57, and p21 mRNAs were verified by in situ hybridization. Using this approach, regulatory genes have been identified that may be involved in the regulation of Clara cell differentiation.
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PMID:Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor expression in pulmonary Clara cells transformed with SV40 large T antigen in transgenic mice. 904 Sep 36

Breast carcinomas < or = 1 cm in size (T1a,b) are being detected more frequently as a result of screening. Because traditional prognostic parameters are either lacking (tumor size) or rare (nodal metastases), a marker(s) is needed to identify the subset of patients who could benefit from adjuvant therapy. A retrospective series of 202 patients with stage T1a,b invasive breast carcinomas was evaluated. The clinicopathological features (age, histological grade, extensive in situ carcinoma, hormone receptor status, and nodal metastasis) as well as microvessel density and the expression of c-erb-B2, p53, MIB-1/Ki-67, and cdc25B were assessed. In addition, expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p27 was evaluated. Nineteen patients (18% of patients who had axillary dissection) had locoregional lymph node metastases. Forty-two % of them died of disease (median survival, 112 months), whereas mortality was 11% in node-negative patients (median survival, 168 months; P = 0.0055). Patients with low p27 expression had a median survival of 139 months (17% mortality) versus 174 months (9% mortality) in the group with high p27 expression (P = 0.0233). Lack of p27 was associated with poor prognosis when node-positive patients were excluded (P = 0.0252). Nodal status and low p27 were found to be the only independent prognostic parameters by both univariate and multivariate analysis, with relative risks of dying of disease of 4.9 (P = 0.001) and 3.4 (P = 0.0306), respectively. Assessment of p27, which yields prognostic information in node-negative patients, could be useful to identify patients with small, invasive breast carcinomas who might benefit from adjuvant therapy.
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PMID:The cell cycle inhibitor p27 is an independent prognostic marker in small (T1a,b) invasive breast carcinomas. 910 10

UCN-01 (7-hydroxyl-staurosporine) was originally isolated as a Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C selective inhibitor and now is being developed as an anticancer agent. Results from our and other laboratories have suggested that UCN-01 induces preferential G1-phase accumulation in several human tumor cell lines tested. To elucidate this mechanism, we examined the effects of UCN-01 on several cell cycle-regulatory proteins critical for G1-S-phase transition in p53-mutated human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells. After 24 h exposure at around 50% growth-inhibitory concentrations (IC50s), 260 and 520 nM, UCN-01 induced the accumulation of pRb (the dephosphorylated retinoblastoma protein form). The protein expression of cyclin A but not cyclin E was markedly reduced and that of cyclin D1 was partially reduced under the same condition. UCN-01 also showed the concentration-dependent inhibitions of the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) using histone H1 and pRb as substrates in vitro (IC50, 530 and 640 nM, respectively). In addition, CDK2 activities of the cells pretreated with UCN-01 for 24 h at 260 and 520 nM were markedly inhibited, giving IC50s of far less than 260 nM. When the same cell lysates were analyzed by Western blotting for CDK2, the lower band (e.g., active and phosphorylated CDK2) was remarkably reduced, in accordance with the reduced activity. Furthermore, UCN-01 induced the expression of the CDK inhibitor p21 protein and its complex formation with CDK2 after 24 h exposure at 260 and 520 nM, whereas the expression level was very low or undetectable in untreated or DNA-damaged cells. The increase of p21 mRNA levels was also induced under the same condition. UCN-01 further increased luciferase activities in A431 cells transiently transfected with p21 promoter-luciferase reporter plasmid after 24 h exposure at 260 and 520 nM. UCN-01 also increased the expression of the CDK inhibitor p27 protein after 24 h exposure at 260 and 520 nM. These results suggest that G1-phase accumulation induced by UCN-01 is associated with dephosphorylation of Rb and CDK2 proteins as well as induction of CDK inhibitors p21 and p27.
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PMID:G1 phase accumulation induced by UCN-01 is associated with dephosphorylation of Rb and CDK2 proteins as well as induction of CDK inhibitor p21/Cip1/WAF1/Sdi1 in p53-mutated human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells. 910 51


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