CLONING OF FELINE P53 TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR GENE AND ITS ABERRATION IN HEMATOPOIETIC TUMORS

Alterations of the p53 tumor-suppressor gene have been observed in a v ariety of human and mouse tumors. For investigation of the role of thi s gene in tumors of cats, feline p53 cDNA was molecularly cloned from a feline lymph-node cDNA library. The cloned cDNA (FF53) contained the whole open reading frame of p53 gene encoding 386 amino acids. The am ino-acid sequence of the feline p53 gene showed 82.1% and 74.9% simila rities with those of the human and mouse counterparts, respectively, a nd had structural characteristics in common with the p53 genes of seve ral other species. Aberrations of the p53 gene were investigated by RT -PCR and single-strand conformation polymorphism analyses. Of 10 prima ry hematopoietic tumors and 3 lymphoma cell lines examined, one lympho ma and one lymphoma cell line had a point mutation of the p53 gene, re sulting in single amino-acid substitutions. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.