title: PRL-3: a metastasis-associated phosphatase in search of a function.
abstract: The molecular and cellular events involved in cancer progression and metastasis remain much less well-defined than those involved in oncogenesis, despite the fact that cell metastasis is the major factor in cancer mortality. Thus, the discovery that the expression of a protein tyrosine phosphatase, protein of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3), is upregulated in colon cancer metastases provided an exciting indication that the altered regulation of specific protein tyrosine phosphorylation events and signaling pathways might characterize these metastatic cells and/or be key in promoting the tumor-to-metastasis transition in this, and perhaps other, cancers of epithelial origin. However, the cellular substrate(s) of PRL-3 has not been identified, and little is known of PRL-3-mediated cellular signaling pathways. This review illustrates the significance of PRL-3 in promoting metastasis and the importance of determining the endogenous role of PRL-3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Darrell C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bessette
authors.forename: Patrick C W
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Pallen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C111534:Ptp4a3 protein, mouse; C484730:PTP4A3 protein, human; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases