NDRG1, a growth and cancer related gene: regulation of gene expression and function in normal and disease states.
N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is an intracellular protein that is induced under a wide variety of stress and cell growth-regulatory conditions. NDRG1 is up-regulated by cell differentiation signals in various cancer cell lines and suppresses tumor metastasis. Despite its specific role in the molecular cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 4D disease, there has been more interest in the gene as a marker of tumor progression and enhancer of cellular differentiation. Because it is strongly up-regulated under hypoxic conditions, and this condition is prevalent in solid tumors, its regulation is somewhat complex, governed by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1alpha)- and p53-dependent pathways, as well as its namesake, neuroblastoma-derived myelocytomatosis, and probably many other factors, at the transcriptional and translational levels, and through mRNA stability. We survey the data for clues to the NDRG1 gene's mechanism and for indications that the NDRG1 gene may be an efficient diagnostic tool and therapy in many types of cancers.
Ellen
Thomas P
TP
Department of Environmental Medicine, Pharmacology and the NYU Cancer Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Ke
Qingdong
Q
Zhang
Ping
P
Costa
Max
M
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D000099259:N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1 Protein
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D000099259:N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1 Protein