CDKN2A
About CDKN2A
CDKN2A on chromosome 9p21.3 is an unusual gene that encodes two distinct tumor suppressor proteins from overlapping sequences read in different frames. p16INK4a inhibits the cyclin dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6, keeping the retinoblastoma protein active and blocking entry into the cell cycle, while p14ARF stabilizes p53 by inhibiting MDM2. CDKN2A is one of the most frequently deleted or inactivated genes in human cancer, including melanoma, pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, and many leukemias. Inherited variants cause familial melanoma and are associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. The p16 protein also accumulates in aging senescent cells, making it a widely used marker in aging research, and immunostaining for p16 is used as a surrogate marker of HPV associated cancers of the cervix and oropharynx.
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