title: Thymidylate synthase as a translational regulator of cellular gene expression.
abstract: Studies from our laboratory have shown that the folate-dependent enzyme, thymidylate synthase (TS), functions as an RNA binding protein. There is evidence that TS, in addition to interacting with its own TS mRNA, forms a ribonucleoprotein complex with a number of other cellular mRNAs, including those corresponding to the p53 tumor suppressor gene and the myc family of transcription factors. Using both in vitro and in vivo model systems, we have demonstrated that the functional consequence of binding of TS protein to its own cognate mRNA, as well as binding of TS to the p53 mRNA, is translational repression. Herein, we review current work on the translational autoregulatory control of TS expression and discuss the molecular elements that are required for the TS protein-TS mRNA interaction. TS may play a critical role in regulating the cell cycle and the process of apoptosis through its regulatory effects on expression of p53 and perhaps other cell cycle related proteins. Finally, the ability of TS to function as a translational regulator may have important consequences with regard to the development of cellular resistance to various anticancer drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Xiukun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ningwen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.forename: Tian min
authors.initials: Tm
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase