Centrosomes and cancer: lessons from a TACC.
The recent discovery that many cancer cells have centrosomal abnormalities suggests a link between centrosomes and cancer. Members of the transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC) family of proteins have been implicated in cancer and are concentrated at centrosomes, where they regulate microtubule stability. I discuss a model of how the TACC proteins might contribute to cancer. This model predicts that defects in TACC function can make important contributions to the development of cancer but are unlikely to be the primary cause of cancer. The model might also apply to several other centrosomal proteins that have been linked to cancer.
Raff
Jordan W
JW
Wellcome/CR UK Institute, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK CB2 1QR. j.raff@welc.cam.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D018385:Centrosome / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008938:Mitosis; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C404402:TACC protein, Drosophila; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53