title: SEL1L a multifaceted protein playing a role in tumor progression.
abstract: Since the cloning in 1997 of SEL1L, the human ortholog of the sel-1 gene of C. elegans, most studies have focused on its role in cancer progression and have provided significant evidences to link its increased expression to a decrease in tumor aggressiveness. SEL1L resides on a "Genome Desert area" on chromosome 14q24.3-31 and is highly conserved in evolution. The function of the SEL1L encoded protein is still very elusive although, several evidences from lower organisms indicate that it plays a major role in protein degradation using the ubiquitin-proteosome system. SEL1L has a very complex structure made up of modules: genomically it consists of 21 exons featuring several alternative transcripts encoding for putative protein isoforms. This structural complexity ensures protein flexibility and specificity, indeed the protein was found in different sub-cellular compartments and may turn on a particular transcript in response to specific stimuli. The overall architecture of SEL1L guarantees an exquisite regulation in the expression of the gene.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche, CNR, Segrate-Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Biunno
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canton
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biagiotti
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barberis
authors.forename: Serenella M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pupa
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scarpa
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ménard
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005333:Fetus / Q000737:chemistry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011506:Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch; C117384:SEL1L protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta