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A Region of Antisense RNA from Human p120 cDNA with High Homology to Mouse p120 cDNA Inhibits NIH 3T3 Proliferation¹

Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030

The human nucleolar p120 protein is a proliferation-associated antigen which is expressed in G₁ and peaks during the early S phase of the cell cycle. Overexpression of the human p120 protein caused the transformation of NIH 3T3 cells and expression of an antisense p120 construct inhibited the growth of NIH 3T3 cells (Perlaky et al., Cancer Res., 52: 428–436, 1992). The middle region of the antisense p120 RNA was found to be almost as inhibitory as the full length antisense construct but the 5' and 3' antisense portions did not affect NIH 3T3 cell proliferation. After the mouse p120 complementary DNA was cloned and sequenced, comparison with the human p120 complementary DNA showed a striking conservation of 85% of the nucleotide sequence and 96% of the amino acid sequence. The two ends of the p120 molecule had less homology in their nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Based on this homology, the observed inhibitory effects of the middle portion of antisense human p120 RNA may be related to suppression of mouse p120 expression by RNA:RNA duplex formation. The high evolutionary conservation of the middle region suggests it has a critical role for the function of this protein.

¹ This work was supported by Cancer Research Center Grant CA10893, P1, awarded by the National Cancer Institute, Department of Health and Human Services, USPHS; the DeBakey Medical Foundation; the H. Leland Kaplan Cancer Research Endowment; the Linda and Ronny Finger Cancer Research Endowment Fund; and the William S. Farish Fund.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 6/ 1/92. Accepted 8/18/92.