Wilms' tumour-suppressor protein isoforms have opposite effects on Igf2 expression in primary embryonic cells, independently of p53 genotype
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

The Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay
Published on: October 27, 2014
A Duarte1, A Caricasole, C F Graham
1Cancer Research Campaign Growth Factors, Zoology Department, University of Oxford, UK.
Abstract:
The p53 protein has been proposed as a modulator of the Wilms' tumour-suppressor protein (WT1) transcriptional regulation activity. To investigate this putative p53 role, the promoter P3 of the mouse insulin-like growth factor II gene (Igf2) was used as a target for WT1 regulation in primary cell cultures derived from p53 wild-type (p53+/+) and knock-out (p53-/-) mouse embryos. In these cells, the WT1 transcriptional activity was observed to be independent of p53 genotype. Furthermore, the two WT1 zinc finger (ZF) isoforms were for the first time found to have opposite effects on gene expression from a single promoter in the same cell type, WT1[-KTS] activating Igf2 P3, whereas WT1[+KTS] repressed its activity. In addition, we have mapped the WT1 binding sites and investigated the effect on WT1 binding activity of individual ZF deletions and Denys-Drash syndrome point mutations to this target.
More Related Videos
09:58Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis
Published on: June 27, 2020
09:37Defining Gene Functions in Tumorigenesis by Ex vivo Ablation of Floxed Alleles in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Cells
Published on: August 25, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Negative Regulator Molecules
Pleiotropy
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Abnormal Proliferation
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...