Analysis of p73 gene in meningiomas with deletion at 1p

The p73 gene has been mapped to 1p36,33, a chromosome region that is freque ntly deleted in a wide variety of neoplasms including meningiomas. The prot ein encoded by p73 shows structural and functional similarities to p53 and may thus represent a candidate tumor suppressor gene. To determine whether p73 is involved in the development of meningiomas, we examined 30 meningiom a samples with proven lp deletion for mutations of p73. Sequence analysis o f the entire coding region of the p73 gene revealed previously reported pol ymorphisms in eight cases. A tumor-specific missense mutation as a result o f an A-to-G transition with an Asn204Ser change was found in one meningioma that nevertheless retained the normal allele. These results suggest that i f p73 plays a role in meningioma carcinogenesis, it must be in a manner dif ferent from the Knudson two-hit model. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All r ights reserved.