Construction of a dual affinity tagged allele of the Rb1 tumor suppressor gene in the mouse.

Loss of Rb1 tumor suppressor gene function is involved in the genesis of most human cancers. Novel therapies targeting Rb1 have been slow to develop because of our incomplete understanding of its molecular mechanisms of action. Rb1 protein (pRb) binds a host of cellular genes and proteins, and these molecular interactions mediate its various functions. Given the potential complexity of these molecular interactions and the lack of established methods for pRb purification, it has been difficult to systematically identify gene and protein interactions relevant to tumor suppression in different tissues in vivo. To address this limitation, we have generated a dual affinity tagged Rb1 allele in the mouse. The tagged allele functions as wild type and the encoded protein can be purified by tandem affinity chromatography. This allele will facilitate identification and characterization of native pRb molecular interactions in any tissue accessible in the mouse. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.