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Nature 389, 123 (11 September 1997) | doi:10.1038/38119
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Defining tumour-suppressor genes
Bruce Clurman & Mark Groudine
No single characteristic defines a tumour-suppressor gene, but important classical features include: loss-of-function mutations accompanied by loss of heterozygosity (or gene inactivation by epigenetic mechanisms such as methylation); mutation in inherited syndromes that predispose to cancer; somatic mutation in spontaneous tumours; and the ability to inhibit the growth of transformed cells in vitro.Another optional, but popular, criterion in the era of homologous recombination is that mice with null mutations in the putative tumour suppressor show a predisposition to cancer that mirrors a human cancer syndrome.
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