The Emerging Role of p27 in Development of Diseases

Abstract

The cell cycle regulation and tumor suppressor p27 encoded by
CDKN1B plays a key role in many cellular events.1-3 p27 is a
member of the Cip/Kip family of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)
inhibitors, which functions to negatively regulate cell cycle progression
at the G1/S boundary in response to antiproliferative stimuli.
In addition, numerous p27 functions, not related to CDK inhibition,
have been described. For instance, cytosolic p27 plays a role
in the regulation of cytoskeleton assembly/disassembly, therefore,
regulates the cell morphology and movement. In addition, p27 is
involved in apoptosis and autophagy modulation. Mutations, abnormal expression and mislocalization of
p27 have been found in many diseases suggesting the important
role of p27 in the pathogenesis of diseases. Human p27 gene (CDKN1B)
was cloned in 19947 and mapped to chromosome 12p13.
Later on, p27 mutations were discovered in several types of human
cancers including breast cancer, sporadic parathyroid adenomas,
endocrine neoplasia, small intestine neuroendocrine tumors