p53 controls proliferation of early B lineage cells by a p21 (WAF1/Cip1)-independent pathway

We examined a role of p53 in early B cell development using fetal liver (FL) cells from p53 deficient (-/-) mice. Expression of p53 was detected in early B lineage (pre-B) cells developed in the stromal cell-dependent FL cell culture. Proliferation of the pre-B cells from the p53(-/-) mice was augmented, suggesting that p53 negatively regulates proliferation of pre-B cells. Although p21 (WAF1/Cip1) is a downstream effector of p53 and mediates growth arrest by inhibiting the action of cyclin-dependent kinases, expression of p21 was also induced in the pre-B cells from p53(-/-) mice. These results indicate that expression of the p21 in pre-B cells is independent of p53 and that the regulatory effect of p53 on proliferation of pre-B cells is mediated by a p21-independent pathway.