A member of the Pyrin family, IFI16, is a novel BRCA1-associated protein involved in the p53-mediated apoptosis pathway.

We identified IFI16 as a BRCA1-associated protein involved in p53-mediated apoptosis. IFI16 contains the Pyrin/PAAD/DAPIN domain, commonly found in cell death-associated proteins. BRCA1 (aa 502-802) interacted with the IFI16 Pyrin domain (aa 1-130). We found that IFI16 was localized in the nucleoplasm and nucleoli. Clear nucleolar IFI16 localization was not observed in HCC1937 BRCA1 mutant cells, but reintroduction of wild-type BRCA1 restored IFI16 nuclear relocalization following IR (ionizing radiation). Coexpression of IFI16 and BRCA1 enhanced DNA damage-induced apoptosis in mouse embryonic fibroblasts from BRCA1 mutant mice expressing wild-type p53, although mutant IFI16 deficient in binding to BRCA1 did not induce apoptosis. Furthermore, tetracycline-induced IFI16 collaborated in inducing apoptosis when adenovirus p53 was expressed in DNA-damaged p53-deficient EJ cells. These results indicate a BRCA1-IFI16 role in p53-mediated transmission of DNA damage signals and apoptosis.