title: XIAP: inhibitor of two worlds.
abstract: Autophagy is a catabolic mechanism that selectively eliminates long-lived proteins, aggregates and damaged organelles and is thereby fundamental in maintaining cellular homeostasis. As a prosurvival mechanism, autophagy is carefully regulated and its dysfunction is associated with cancer development. Work of Huang et al (2013) in this issue of The EMBO Journal identifies the apoptosis inhibitor XIAP as a novel repressor of autophagy--a function that significantly contributes to its tumorigenecity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cecconi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases