STRUCTURE AND PARTIAL GENOMIC SEQUENCE OF THE HUMAN E2F1 GENE

The E2F family of transcription factors appears to pray a critical rol e in the transcription of certain genes required for cell cycle progre ssion, E2F1, the first cloned member of this family, is regulated duri ng the cell cycle at the mRNA level by changes in transcription of the E2F1 gene and at the protein level by complex formation with proteins such as the retinoblastoma gene product (pRB), cyclin A and DP1. E2F1 can override a pRB-induced G1/S block and can behave as an oncogene i n certain cells. E2F1 was cloned and was found to contain seven exons. The dinucleotides at the 5' and 3' splice sites of intron 4 do not ag ree with consensus splice site sequences. Fluorescence in situ hybridi zation localized E2F1 to chromosome 20q11. Knowledge of the organizati on of E2F1 may facilitate identification of additional E2F family memb ers, as well as detection of E2F1 abnormalities in human tumors.