P16(INK4A) MTS1/CDKN2 - THE MELANOMA GENE /

The gene of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4)-inhibitor p16(INK4A) (CDKN2/MTS1) has been proposed as a candidate fora tumor-suppressor ge ne located on chromosome 9p21, a frequently deleted region in a series of human cancers including malignant melanoma. An increasing and some times conflicting body of data has accumulated regarding the frequency of homozygous deletions and mutations as well as the importance of p1 6(INK4A) in malignant melanoma. The purpose of this review is therefor e to summarize the current knowledge on p16(INK4A) and to discuss its biologic significance in the pathogenesis of melanocytic tumors.