Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome - CDKN2A

CDKN2A

See also: List of genes mutated in pigmented cutaneous lesions

The CDKN2A gene is located on chromosome 9p21.3. Two main transcripts, isoforms ‘1’ and ‘4’, each contain three exons and span 7288 and 26740 bp, respectively. They encode proteins of 156 and 173 amino acids; isoform ‘1’ encodes p16(INK4a), while isoform ‘4’ encodes p14(ARF), a protein that is structurally unrelated to p16(INK4) but acts in cell cycle G1 control by stabilizing the tumor suppressor protein p53.

The penetrance for melanoma in kindreds with CDKN2A mutations is estimated at 58% to 92% by 80 years of age and varies with geography. The penetrance in CDKN2A mutation carriers for pancreatic cancer has been estimated to be 17% by 75 years of age. As noted above, there is wide variation in published estimates of the penetrance of CDKN2A mutations.