title: WWOX, the chromosomal fragile site FRA16D spanning gene: its role in metabolism and contribution to cancer.
abstract: The WWOX gene spans the common chromosomal fragile site FRA16D that is located within a massive (780 kb) intron. The WWOX gene is very long, at 1.1 Mb, which may contribute to the very low abundance of the full-length 1.4 kb mRNA. Alternative splicing also accounts for a variety of aberrant transcripts, most of which are devoid of C-terminal sequences required for WWOX to act as an oxidoreductase. The mouse WWOX gene also spans a chromosomal fragile site implying some sort of functional relationship that confers a selective advantage. The encoded protein domains of WWOX are conserved through evolution (between humans and Drosophila melanogaster) and include WW domains, an NAD -binding site, short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase enzyme and nuclear compartmentalization signals. This homology has enabled functional analyses in D. melanogaster that demonstrate roles for WWOX in reactive oxygen species regulation and metabolism. Indeed the human WWOX gene is also responsive to altered metabolism. Cancer cells typically exhibit altered metabolism (Warburg effect). Many cancers exhibit FRA16D DNA instability that results in aberrant WWOX expression and is associated with poor prognosis for these cancers. It is therefore thought that aberrant WWOX expression contributes to the altered metabolism in cancer. In addition, others have found that a specific (low-expression) allele of WWOX genotype contributes to cancer predisposition.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Genetics and Centre for Molecular Pathology, School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia robert.richards@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Robert I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Genetics and Centre for Molecular Pathology, School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Choo
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Genetics and Centre for Molecular Pathology, School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Cheng Shoou
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Genetics and Centre for Molecular Pathology, School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dayan
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Genetics and Centre for Molecular Pathology, School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D043283:Chromosome Fragile Sites / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D042822:Genomic Instability / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000074584:WW Domain-Containing Oxidoreductase
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D000074584:WW Domain-Containing Oxidoreductase; C559480:WWOX protein, Drosophila; C486071:WWOX protein, human; C428130:Wwox protein, mouse
keywords: Chromosomal fragile site; FRA16D; altered metabolism; oxidoreductase