The Drosophila Ste20 family kinase dMST functions as a tumor suppressor by restricting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis (original) (raw)

  1. Jianhang Jia1,
  2. Wensheng Zhang1,
  3. Bing Wang1,
  4. Richard Trinko2, and
  5. Jin Jiang1,3
  6. 1 Center for Developmental Biology and Department of Pharmacology
  7. 2 DCMB program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9133, USA

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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