Altered Cell Cycle Kinetics, Gene Expression, and G 1 Restriction Point Regulation in Rb -Deficient Fibroblasts

Fibroblasts prepared from retinoblastoma (Rb) gene-negative mouse embryos exhibit a shorter G1 phase of the growth cycle and smaller size than wild-type cells. In addition, the mutant cells are no longer inhibited by low levels of cycloheximide at any point in G1 but do remain sensitive to serum withdrawal until late in G1. Certain cell cycle-regulated genes showed no temporal or quantitative differences in expression. In contrast, cyclin E expression in Rb-deficient cells is deregulated in two ways. Cyclin E mRNA is generally derepressed in mutant cells and reaches peak levels about 6 h earlier in G1 than in wild-type cells. Moreover, cyclin E protein levels are higher in the Rb-/- cells than would be predicted from the levels of its mRNA. Thus, the selective growth advantage conferred by Rb gene deletion during tumorigenesis may be explained in part by changes in the regulation of cyclin E. In addition, the mechanisms defining the restriction point of late G1 may consist of at least two molecular events, one cycloheximide sensitive and pRb dependent and the other serum sensitive and pRb independent.