Inventors:
Cheng-Chi Lee - Houston TX, US
Loning Fu - Houston TX, US
Peng Huang - Bellaire TX, US
Jinsong Liu - Houston TX, US
International Classification:
A61K048/00, C12N015/86
Abstract:
Data presented herein provide a molecular mechanism for circadian gene mPer2 in DNA damage response and tumor suppression in vivo. Mice deficient in mPer2 gene display neoplastic phenotypes. These mice are deficient in p53-mediated apoptosis in thymocytes and have increased tumor occurrences after -radiation. Core circadian genes are induced by -radiation in wild-type mice but not in mPer2 mutant mice. Temporal expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation and tumor suppression, such as c-Myc, Cyclin D1, Cyclin A, Mdm-2 and Gadd45 is dependent on mPER2 in vivo.