title: Do TNF-alpha-insensitive cancer cells escape alpha-tubulin nitrotyrosination?
abstract: TNF-alpha induces tumor-selective cytotoxicity in certain cancers, but many tumors are resistant to the effects of this inflammatory cytokine. This brief hypothesis outlines my views that nitric oxide-mediated alpha-tubulin posttranslational nitrotyrosination may be a major mechanism through which TNF-alpha exerts its cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. Additionally, I propose that tumor cells that are resistant to the effects of TNF-alpha may be so because of suppressed levels of "tubulin tyrosine ligase," which is responsible for the posttranslational tyrosination of alpha-tubulin.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, Fife, KY16 9ST, Scotland. hi@st-and.ac.uk
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Idriss
mesh_terms: D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C002744:3-nitrotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine