Relative levels of alternative transcripts of the ING1 gene and lack of mutations of p33/ING1 in haematological malignancies

The protein product of the ING1 gene physically interacts with p53 and appears necessary for the role of p53 in growth inhibition/apoptosis. Alternative splicing of the ING1 gene produces three transcripts: p24/ING1-ALT1, p47/ING1-ALT2 and p33/ING1. A competitive RT-PCR, which determines the relative levels of these transcripts, was employed to study peripheral blood lymphocytes from 49 patients with haematological malignancies and five normal controls. Both groups expressed predominantly the p33/ING1 transcript, with low levels of p24/ING1 and p47/ING1. We screened the complete p33/ING1 transcript for sequence variations, by non-isotopic RNase cleavage assay (NIRCA); none were found. This study suggests that neither perturbation of alternative splicing, nor mutation of p33/ING1 plays a significant role in the development of haematological malignancies.