Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Analysis of Cell Cycle Position in Mammalian Cells
12:19

Analysis of Cell Cycle Position in Mammalian Cells

Published on: January 21, 2012

Selective requirements for E2f3 in the development and tumorigenicity of Rb-deficient chimeric tissues

Tiziana Parisi1, Tina L Yuan, Ann Marie Faust

  • 1Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

Molecular and Cellular Biology
|January 11, 2007
PubMed

Insights

The retinoblastoma protein (pRB) and E2F3

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • The tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein (pRB) inhibits cell proliferation by binding to E2F transcription factors.
  • Studying pRB and E2F interactions is challenging due to the embryonic lethality of mice lacking both Rb and E2f genes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of E2F3 in developmental defects and tumor formation in pRB-deficient mice.
  • To establish a viable mouse model for studying Rb and E2f3 interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Generated embryonic stem cells and chimeric mice lacking both Rb and E2f3.
  • Analyzed developmental defects (cataracts, retinal dysplasia) and tumor development in Rb(-/-); E2f3(-/-) chimeric mice.

Main Results:

  • Loss of E2F3 suppressed cataracts but worsened retinal dysplasia in Rb(-/-) chimeras.
  • E2F3 was dispensable for pituitary and thyroid tumor development in pRB-deficient mice.
  • E2F3 inactivation prevented pulmonary neuroendocrine hyperplasia, a precursor to small-cell lung carcinoma.

Conclusions:

  • E2F3 plays opposing roles in different developmental defects associated with pRB loss.
  • E2F3 is not essential for pituitary and thyroid tumor formation in Rb(-/-) mice.
  • E2F3 inactivation suppresses a key preneoplastic lesion in small-cell lung carcinoma, suggesting a potential therapeutic target.

More Related Videos

Reconstruct Human Retinoblastoma In Vitro06:52

Reconstruct Human Retinoblastoma In Vitro

Published on: October 11, 2022

Inducible and Reversible Dominant-negative (DN) Protein Inhibition08:35

Inducible and Reversible Dominant-negative (DN) Protein Inhibition

Published on: January 7, 2019

Related Concept Videos

The Retinoblastoma Gene01:20

The Retinoblastoma Gene

Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...