Master or slave: the complex relationship of RBP2 and pRb.
The retinoblastoma protein or its regulators are altered in most human cancers. Although commonly thought of as solely a repressor of E2F-dependent transcription and cell cycle progression, pRb has gained notoriety in recent years as a key actor in cellular differentiation programs. In the June issue of Molecular Cell, Benevolenskaya et al. report that a long-known but poorly understood pRb interactor, RBP2, acts as an inhibitor of differentiation contributing to pRb's role as a coordinator of differentiation and cell cycle exit. Loss of pRb may unleash RBP2, maintaining cells in a poorly differentiated progenitor state that is prerequisite to tumor formation.
Gutierrez
Gabriel M
GM
Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Kong
Elizabeth
E
Hinds
Philip W
PW
D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D050684:E2F Transcription Factors; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D056485:Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 2; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050684:E2F Transcription Factors; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C070050:KDM5A protein, human; D056485:Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 2