STUDIES OF SPECIFIC GENE INDUCTION DURING APOPTOSIS OF CELL-LINES CONDITIONALLY IMMORTALIZED BY SV40

Inactivation of SV40 large T antigen in cells immortalized with condit ional mutants leads to activation of p53 and apoptosis. We have analys ed during this process the expression of genes induced by p53 or diffe rentially expressed during apoptosis in other systems. We find an earl y induction of Waf1/Cip1. We also observe clusterin is induced during the process and displays a high level of expression in non-apoptotic c ells, suggesting a protective role for clusterin. Other genes associat ed with thymocyte and lymphocyte apoptosis are not induced, showing th at the pattern of gene induction is specific to the system studied.