ANA, A NOVEL MEMBER OF TOB BTG1 FAMILY, IS EXPRESSED IN THE VENTRICULAR ZONE OF THE DEVELOPING CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM/

Using a polymerase chain reaction-mediated cloning procedure, we have identified a novel member, termed ANA (from Abundant in Nueroepitheliu m Area), of Tob/BTG1 family of antiproliferative genes, Molecular clon ing and analysis of cDNAs revealed that the human and mouse ANA encode d a protein of 252 amino acids, The amino-terminal half of ANA was hom ologous to the previously characterized antiproliferative gene product s, BTG1, PC3/TIS21/BTG2, and Tob, The human, ANA gene was localized at chromosome 21q11.2-q21.1, ANA ,vas expressed in a variety of tissues and cell lines, its expression being high in the ovary, testis, prosta te, thymus, and lung. Further analysis revealed that ANA expression wa s high in the ventricular zone of the developing central nervous syste m, Finally, overexpression of ANA impaired serum-induced cell cycle pr ogression from the G(0)/G(1) to S phase. In conclusion, ANA is a fourt h member of the Tob/BTG1 family that might play roles in neurogenesis in the central nervous system.