Protein phase separation and its role in tumorigenesis.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33138914.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.60264 and PMC identifier 7609067.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation, but the precise pathological mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis often remain to be elucidated. In recent years, condensates formed by phase separation have emerged as a new principle governing the organization and functional regulation of cells. Increasing evidence links cancer-related mutations to aberrantly altered condensate assembly, suggesting that condensates play a key role in tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize and discuss the latest progress on the formation, regulation, and function of condensates. Special emphasis is given to emerging evidence regarding the link between condensates and the initiation and progression of cancers.
Medical subject headings
- Carcinogenesis
- Neoplasms
- Proteins