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CancerQuest > Introduction to Cancer Biology > Cancer Genes > An Introduction to Tumor Suppressors > Tumor Suppressor Table

Tumor Suppressor Table

 

Tumor Suppressor	Function	Cancer *	References
APC	Controls the function of specific transcription factors which are involved in tumorigenesis, and development and homeostasis of some cell types including epithelial and lymphoid cells.  APC has also been implicated in cell proliferation and other cellular activities such as migration, and adhesion.	Familial adenomatous and non-inherited colorectal carcinomas	(1) (2)
BRCA1, BRCA2	DNA Damage Repair	Inherited breast cancers; ovarian cancers	(3)
CDKN2A	Gene locus that encodes the tumor suppressors p16 and p14ARF.	Brain tumors	1 (4)
DCC	Netrin-1 receptor. Regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis of intestinal epithelium.	Colorectal carcinomas	(5) (6) (7)
DPC4 (SMAD4)	Transciptional factor involved in development; Implicated in metastasis and tumor invasiveness.	Colorectal tumors, pancreatic neoplasia	(8) (9)
MADR2/JV18 (SMAD2)	Mediates signaling from growth factor receptors.  Assists in transport of SMAD4 into nucleus.	Colorectal cancer	(10) (11)
MEN1	Codes for the menin protein that interacts with transcription factors, DNA repair proteins, cytoskeletal proteins and others.  Function not clearly defined.	Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1	(12)
MTS1	Inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases; regulates cell cycle passage from G1 into S.	Melanomas	(13)
NF1	RAS GTPase activating protein (RAS-GAP)	Neurofibromatosis type 1	(14)
NF2	ERM protein; organize plasma membrane by assembling protein complexes and linking them to actin.	Neurofibromatosis type 2	(15)
p53	Encodes a transcription factor for p21, a protein that arrests the cell cycle in G1 phase.  p53 integrates signals related to cell size, DNA integrity and chrommosome replication.	Bladder, breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, lung, prostate, and ovarian carcinomas; brain tumors, sarcomas, lymphomas, and leukemias	(16)
PTEN	Lipid phosphatase.  Regulates cell survival	Cowden syndrome; increased risk of breast and thyroid cancer	2 (17)
Rb	Binds to, and inhibits, the E2F transcription factor.  Halts cell cycle progression	Retinoblastoma, sarcomas; bladder, breast, esophageal, prostate, and lung carcinomas	(18)
VHL	Cell cycle regulation.  May increase stability and activity of p53	Renal cell carcinomas	1 (19)
WRN	DNA helicase and exonuclease. Involved in repair of DNA breaks.	Werner syndrome	2 (20)
WT1	Transcription factor.  Essential role in development.	Wilms tumors (pediatric kidney cancer)	1

* The cancer types listed in this column are those that are predominantly associated with each tumor suppressor gene but this is not an exhaustive list.

For information on these genes and others please visit the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project.

1. Cooper G. Oncogenes. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1995.

2. Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW. The Genetic Basis of Human Cancer. McGraw-Hill: 1998.

References for this page:

1. Aoki K, Taketo MM. Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC): a multi-functional tumor suppressor gene. J Cell Sci. 2007 Oct 1;120(Pt 19):3327-35. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17881494] [PUBMED]
2. Johan H. van Es,1 Rachel H. Giles, and Hans C. Clevers. The Many Faces of the Tumor Suppressor Gene APC. Experimental Cell Research 264, 126¿134 [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11237529] [PUBMED]
3. Greenberg RA. Recognition of DNA double strand breaks by the BRCA1 tumor suppressor network. Chromosoma. 2008 Aug;117(4):305-17. Epub 2008 Mar 28. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed] [PUBMED]
4. Hashemi J, Lindstrom MS, Asker C, Platz A, Hansson J, Wiman KG. "A melanoma-predisposing germline CDKN2A mutation with functional significance for both p16 and p14ARF." Cancer Lett (2002). 180(2): 211-21. [PUBMED]
5. Pierceall WE, Reale MA, Candia AF, et al. Expression of a homologue of the deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene in the nervous system of developing Xenopus embryos. Dev Biol 1994; 166:654¿665. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed] [PUBMED]
6. Keino-Masu K, Masu M, Hinck L, et al. Deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) encodes a netrin receptor. Cell 1996;87:175¿185. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed] [PUBMED]
7. Grady WM. Making the case for DCC and UNC5C as tumor-suppressor genes in the colon. Gastroenterology. 2007 Dec;133(6):2045-9. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18054576] [PUBMED]
8. Gallo A, Cuozzo C, Esposito I, Maggiolini M, Bonofiglio D, Vivacqua A, Garramone M, Weiss C, Bohmann D, Musti AM. "Menin uncouples Elk-1, JunD and c-Jun phosphorylation from MAP kinase activation." Oncogene (2002). 21(42): 6434-45. [PUBMED]
9. Yachida S, Iacobuzio-Donahue CA. The pathology and genetics of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2009 Mar;133(3):413-22. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19260747] [PUBMED]
10. de Caestecker MP, Piek E, Roberts AB. "Role of transforming growth factor-beta signaling in cancer." J Natl Cancer Inst (2000). 92(17): 1388-402. [PUBMED]
11. Heldin CH, Landström M, Moustakas A. Mechanism of TGF-beta signaling to growth arrest, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2009 Apr;21(2):166-76. Epub 2009 Feb 23. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19237272] [PUBMED]
12. Starker LF, Carling T. Molecular genetics of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Curr Opin Oncol. 2009 Jan;21(1):29-33. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19125015] [PUBMED]
13. Rocco JW, Sidransky D. p16(MTS-1/CDKN2/INK4a) in cancer progression. Exp Cell Res. 2001 Mar 10;264(1):42-55. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed] [PUBMED]
14. Johannessen CM, Reczek EE, James MF, Brems H, Legius E, Cichowski K. The NF1 tumor suppressor critically regulates TSC2 and mTOR. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Jun 14;102(24):8573-8. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed] [PUBMED]
15. Gladden AB, Hebert AM, Schneeberger EE, McClatchey AI. The NF2 Tumor Suppressor, Merlin, Regulates Epidermal Development through the Establishment of a Junctional Polarity Complex. Dev Cell. 2010 Nov 16;19(5):727-39. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed] [PUBMED]
16. Giono LE, Manfredi JJ. The p53 tumor suppressor participates in multiple cell cycle checkpoints. J Cell Physiol. 2006 Oct;209(1):13-20. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16741928] [PUBMED]
17. Backman S, Stambolic V, Mak T. "PTEN function in mammalian cell size regulation." Curr Opin Neurobiol (2002). 12(5): 516. [PUBMED]
18. Yamasaki L. Role of the RB tumor suppressor in cancer. Cancer Treat Res. 2003;115:209-39. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12613199] [PUBMED]
19. Kaelin WG Jr. "Molecular basis of the VHL hereditary cancer syndrome." Nat Rev Cancer (2002). 2(9):673-82. [PUBMED]
20. Bernstein C, Bernstein H, Payne CM, Garewal H. "DNA repair/pro-apoptotic dual-role proteins in five major DNA repair pathways: fail-safe protection against carcinogenesis." Mutat Res (2002). 511(2): 145-78. [PUBMED]