Comparative studies in the promoter and exon 1 regions of tumour suppressor p53 in several mammalian species: Absence of mutations in a panel of spontaneous domestic animal tumours

Tumour suppressor p53 is critical in a broad panel of tumour types in human , mouse and other mammals. Regions of the promoter and exon 1 play an impor tant role in expression of p53. In the present study, the DNA sequences of promoter and exon 1 regions of four domestic animal species (dog, cat, hors e and cattle) are determined and compared with experimental rodents (mouse, rat and hamster) and man. A broad panel of tumour types have been investig ated for mutations in this regulatory area in 90 canine, 136 feline, 25 equ ine and 10 bovine patients. No mutation was detected in any of the rumours analysed.