The Drosophila Ste20 family kinase dMST functions as a tumor suppressor by restricting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis
Abstract
In a genetic screen for mutations that restrict cell growth and organ size, we identified a new tumor suppressor gene, dMST, which encodes the Drosophila homolog of the mammalian Ste20 kinase family members MST1 and MST2. Loss-of-function mutations in dMST result in overgrown tissues containing more cells of normal size. dMST mutant cells exhibit elevated levels of Cyclin E and DIAP1, increased cell growth and proliferation, and impaired apoptosis. dMST forms a complex with Sav and Wts, two tumor suppressors also implicated in regulating both cell proliferation and apoptosis, suggesting that they act in common pathways.
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Footnotes
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Article and publication are at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.1134003.
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↵3 Corresponding author. E-MAIL jin.jiang{at}utsouthwestern.edu; FAX (214) 648-1960.
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- Accepted August 25, 2003.
- Received July 16, 2003.
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press