A single gene and a pseudogene for the cellular tumour antigen p53
Abstract
The cellular tumour antigen p53 is a protein found in elevated levels in a great variety of transformed cells (reviewed in ref. 1). Overproduction of p53 was observed in cells transformed by a wide spectrum of agents2-7 as well as in embryonal carcinoma cells3,8 and in spontaneous transformants9,10. Although initially described in mice2,3,9, similar p53-like proteins were also observed in cells of other species, including those derived from several human tumours11. In non-transformed cells the protein turns over very rapidly12,13 and its levels appear to correlate with cell proliferation14,15. Thus far, very little has been known about the precise nature of the protein and of the corresponding genes. We now provide evidence for the existence of a single functional gene for murine p53 and a processed pseudogene. The predicted amino acid sequence of murine p53 is also presented.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- December 1983
- DOI:
- 10.1038/306594a0
- Bibcode:
- 1983Natur.306..594Z