Tumor Suppressor Gene Regulates Mitosis

Researchers in South Korea have described the mechanism by which the tumor suppressing RASSF1A gene regulates mitosis and prevents formation of cancer cells.

RASSF1A (ras-associated domain family 1A) is found at the 3p21.3 locus, a chromosomal area that is frequently deleted in lung cancer. Loss of expression of this gene correlated with methylation of the CpG island promoter sequence and occurred in 80% of small-cell lung cancers.

Investigators at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Seoul; www.kaist.edu) found that when present, RASSF1A regulated the stability of mitotic cyclins and the timing of mitotic progression. RASSF1A localized to microtubules during interphase and to centrosomes and the spindle during mitosis. The gene acted to stabilize mitotic cyclins and to prevent cells from dividing in an uncontrolled fashion. These findings were published in the February 2004 issue of Nature New Biology.

"The dearth of RASSF1A was reported mostly in the case of lung cancer. The new findings will provide insight into the diagnosis and cure of lung cancer from its early stages,” explained first author Dr. Min Sup Song, a researcher at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.




Related Links:
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology