PTEN: a default gate-keeping tumor suppressor with a versatile tail.
The tumor suppressor PTEN controls a variety of biological processes including cell proliferation, growth, migration, and death. As a master cellular regulator, PTEN itself is also subjected to deliberated regulation to ensure its proper function. Defects in PTEN regulation have a profound impact on carcinogenesis. In this review, we briefly discuss recent advances concerning PTEN regulation and how such knowledge facilitates our understanding and further exploration of PTEN biology. The carboxyl-tail of PTEN, which appears to be associated with multiple types of posttranslational regulation, will be under detailed scrutiny. Further, a comparative analysis of PTEN and p53 suggests while p53 needs to be activated to suppress tumorigenesis (a dormant gatekeeper), PTEN is probably a constitutive surveillant against cancer development, thus a default gatekeeper.
Wang
Xinjiang
X
Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Jiang
Xuejun
X
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D056827:Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D000075702:Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000235:genetics; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054875:Ubiquitination / Q000235:genetics
D056827:Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000075702:Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase