The murine telomerase catalytic subunit shares the PAb-240 mutant specific epitope of the p53 protein.
Many tumorigenic p53 mutants gain a common antigenic epitope that is recognized by the PAb-240 antibody. Database search identified the presence of this epitope in several other proteins, including several antibodies and the catalytic subunit of mouse telomerase, mTERT. These antibodies may represent a part of the previously demonstrated anti-idiotypic network built around p53. In the present study we demonstrate that the PAb-240 antibody was able to inhibit telomerase activity in extracts from both mouse and human tumor cells. The recognition of mTERT by PAb-240 is demonstrated by Western blotting and by using blocking peptides derived from mTERT. The existence of a shared epitope between mutant p53 and telomerase may suggest that the two proteins contribute to malignant transformation through a common pathway.
Shats
Igor
I
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Milyavsky
Michael
M
Erez
Neta
N
Rotter
Varda
V
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D019098:Telomerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019098:Telomerase