The Drosophila Ste20 family kinase dMST functions as a tumor suppressor by restricting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis.
In a genetic screen for mutations that restrict cell growth and organ size, we identified a new tumor suppressor gene, dMST, which encodes the Drosophila homolog of the mammalian Ste20 kinase family members MST1 and MST2. Loss-of-function mutations in dMST result in overgrown tissues containing more cells of normal size. dMST mutant cells exhibit elevated levels of Cyclin E and DIAP1, increased cell growth and proliferation, and impaired apoptosis. dMST forms a complex with Sav and Wts, two tumor suppressors also implicated in regulating both cell proliferation and apoptosis, suggesting that they act in common pathways.
Jia
Jianhang
J
Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9133, USA. jin.jiang@utsouthwestern.edu
Zhang
Wensheng
W
Wang
Bing
B
Trinko
Richard
R
Jiang
Jin
J
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004330:Drosophila / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D005123:Eye / Q000473:pathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases