Haploinsufficiency of p18(INK4c) sensitizes mice to carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis.
The INK4 family of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors negatively regulates cyclin D-dependent CDK4 and CDK6 and thereby retains the growth-suppressive function of Rb family proteins. Mutations in the CDK4 gene conferring INK4 resistance are associated with familial and sporadic melanoma in humans and result in a wide spectrum of tumors in mice. Whereas loss of function of other INK4 genes in mice leads to little or no tumor development, targeted deletion of p18(INK4c) causes spontaneous pituitary tumors and lymphoma late in life. Here we show that treatment of p18 null and heterozygous mice with a chemical carcinogen resulted in tumor development at an accelerated rate. The remaining wild-type allele of p18 was neither mutated nor silenced in tumors derived from heterozygotes. Hence, p18 is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor in mice.
Bai
Feng
F
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7295, USA.
Pei
Xin-Hai
XH
Godfrey
Virginia L
VL
Xiong
Yue
Y
D000236:Adenoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D050763:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p18; D004123:Dimethylamines / Q000633:toxicity; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006239:Haplotypes; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D002273:Carcinogens; C493972:Cdkn2c protein, mouse; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D050763:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p18; D004123:Dimethylamines; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C013962:dimethylnitramine