Sequence similarity between part of human retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product and a neurofilament protein subunit.

Retinoblastoma, is a highly malignant but readily treatable cancer of the retina, which occurs at an incidence of 1 in 20,000 live births in young children. The retinoblastoma gene that determines susceptibility to this cancer encodes a nuclear phosphoprotein which has been extensively characterized. Yet, to this date, its function remains unknown. We report here that RB amino acids 307-435 shows similarity to the rod domain of the neurofilament L-type subunit (NF-L).