PML bodies: a meeting place for genomic loci?
Promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies have been implicated in a variety of cellular processes, such as cell-cycle regulation, apoptosis, proteolysis, tumor suppression, DNA repair and transcription. Despite this, the function of PML bodies is still unknown. Direct and indirect evidence supports the hypothesis that PML bodies interact with specific genes or genomic loci. This includes the finding that the stability of PML bodies is affected by cell stress and changes in chromatin structure. PML bodies also facilitate the transcription and replication of double-stranded DNA viral genomes. Moreover, PML bodies associate with specific regions of high transcriptional activity in the cellular genome. We propose that PML bodies functionally interact with chromatin and are important for the regulation of gene expression.
Ching
Reagan W
RW
Programme in Cell Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Dellaire
Graham
G
Eskiw
Christopher H
CH
Bazett-Jones
David P
DP
D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D045586:Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000071156:Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
D002843:Chromatin; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000071156:Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C070576:PML protein, human