Background of the antigen
The tumor suppressor PTEN plays an essential role in regulating signaling pathways involved in cell growth and apoptosis and is inactivated in a wide variety of tumors. Protein interacting with PTEN carboxyl terminus 1 (PICT-1), also designated p60 or Glioma tumor suppressor candidate region gene 2 protein, binds to the C-terminus of PTEN and regulates its turnover. Five Ser/Thr residues within the C-terminal segment of PTEN, including Ser-380, are phosphorylated upon binding of PTEN to PICT-1 and may contribute to the stabilization of PTEN. PICT-1 is localized to the nucleus and/or nucleolus and is highly expressed in pancreas and heart, but can also be detected in liver, skeletal muscle, placenta and kidney. PICT-1 also interacts with herpes simplex virus 1 regulatory proteins ICP22 and ICP0. The tumor suppressor GLTSCR2 gene, which encodes PICT-1, is located in a 150-kb minimal common deletion region for human gliomas, especially oligodendrogliomas, and maps to human chromosome 19q13.3.
