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E Firpo

Publications and source records attributed to E Firpo.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

A new pathway for mitogen-dependent cdk2 regulation uncovered in p27(Kip1)-deficient cells.

BACKGROUND: The ability of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) to promote cell proliferation is opposed by cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs), proteins that bind tightly to cyclin-CDK complexes and block the phosphorylation of exogenous substrates. Mice with targeted CKI gene deletions have only subtle proliferative abnormalities, however, and cells prepared from these mice seem remarkably normal when grown in vitro. One explanation may be the operation of compensatory pathways that control CDK activity and cell proliferation when normal pathways are inactivated. We have used mice lacking the CKIs p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1) to investigate this issue, specifically with respect to CDK regulation by mitogens. RESULTS: We show that p27 is the major inhibitor of Cdk2 activity in mitogen-starved wild-type murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Nevertheless, inactivation of the cyclin E-Cdk2 complex in response to mitogen starvation occurs normally in MEFs that have a homozygous deletion of the p27 gene. Moreover, CDK regulation by mitogens is also not affected by the absence of both p27 and p21. A titratable Cdk2 inhibitor compensates for the absence of both CKIs, and we identify this inhibitor as p130, a protein related to the retinoblastoma gene product Rb. Thus, cyclin E-Cdk2 kinase activity cannot be inhibited by mitogen starvation of MEFs that lack both p27 and p130. In addition, cell types that naturally express low amounts of p130, such as T lymphocytes, are completely dependent on p27 for regulation of the cyclin E-Cdk2 complex by mitogens. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of Cdk2 activity in mitogen-starved fibroblasts is usually performed by the CKI p27, and to a minor extent by p21. Remarkably p130, a protein in the Rb family that is not related to either p21 or p27, will directly substitute for the CKIs and restore normal CDK regulation by mitogens in cells lacking both p27 and p21. This compensatory pathway may be important in settings in which CKIs are not expressed at standard levels, as is the case in many human tumors.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

The tumor suppressor gene Brca1 is required for embryonic cellular proliferation in the mouse.

Mutations of the BRCA1 gone in humans are associated with predisposition to breast and ovarian cancers. We show here that Brca1+/- mice are normal and fertile and lack tumors by age eleven months. Homozygous Brca1(5-6) mutant mice die before day 7.5 of embryogenesis. Mutant embryos are poorly developed, with no evidence of mesoderm formation. The extraembryonic region is abnormal, but aggregation with wild-type tetraploid embryos does not rescue the lethality. In vivo, mutant embryos do not exhibit increased apoptosis but show reduced cell proliferation accompanied by decreased expression of cyclin E and mdm-2, a regulator of p53 activity. The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is dramatically increased in the mutant embryos. Buttressing these in vivo observations is the fact that mutant blastocyst growth is grossly impaired in vitro. Thus, the death of Brca1(5-6) mutant embryos prior to gastrulation may be due to a failure of the proliferative burst required for the development of the different germ layers.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1996

A syndrome of multiorgan hyperplasia with features of gigantism, tumorigenesis, and female sterility in p27(Kip1)-deficient mice.

SUMMARY: Targeted disruption of the murine p27(Kip1) gene caused a gene dose-dependent increase in animal size without other gross morphologic abnormalities. All tissues were enlarged and contained more cells, although endocrine abnormalities were not evident. Thymic hyperplasia was associated with increased T lymphocyte proliferation, and T cells showed enhanced IL-2 responsiveness in vitro. Thus, p27 deficiency may cause a cell-autonomous defect resulting in enhanced proliferation in response to mitogens. In the spleen, the absence of p27 selectively enhanced proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. p27 deletion, like deletion of the Rb gene, uniquely caused neoplastic growth of the pituitary pars intermedia, suggesting that p27 and Rb function in the same regulatory pathway. The absence of p27 also caused an ovulatory defect and female sterility. Maturation of secondary ovarian follicles into corpora lutea, which express high levels of p27, was markedly impaired.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1995

Stem cell factor-induced expression of p27kip-1 during hematopoietic differentiation.

The canine marrow stroma-derived CD34- DR- cell line D064 is able to differentiate into cells with characteristics of hematopoietic progenitors. While differentiating, these cells start to express CD34 and DR. Differentiation is induced by stem cell factor (SCF), while interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibits differentiation, but promotes proliferation. The influence of SCF and IL-6 on differentiation and proliferation is reflected in the expression of p27kip-1. SCF induces a transient expression of p27kip-1, while no p27kip-1 is detectable in the presence of IL-6 or an anti-SCF monoclonal antibody. The accumulation of intracellular p27kip-1 precedes the differentiation of D064 cells. As these cells start to proliferate and more committed progenitors emerge, p27kip-1 is no longer expressed.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Interleukin-2-mediated elimination of the p27Kip1 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor prevented by rapamycin.

The cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) enzymes, when associated with the G1 cyclins D and E, are rate-limiting for entry into the S phase of the cell cycle. During T-cell mitogenesis, antigen-receptor signalling promotes synthesis of cyclin E and its catalytic partner, Cdk2, and interleukin-2 (IL-2) signalling activates cyclin E/Cdk2 complexes. Rapamycin is a potent immunosuppressant which specifically inhibits G1-to-S-phase progression, leading to cell-cycle arrest in yeast and mammals. Here we report that IL-2 allows Cdk activation by causing the elimination of the Cdk inhibitor protein p27Kip1, and that this is prevented by rapamycin. By contrast, the Cdk inhibitor p21 is induced by IL-2 and this induction is blocked by rapamycin. Our results show that p27Kip1 governs Cdk activity during the transition from quiescence to S phase in T lymphocytes and that p21 function may be restricted to cycling cells.

Animals↗