title: Introduction to a thematic issue for WWOX.
abstract: Since its discovery in 2000, WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX, FOR or WOX1) has been considered as a tumor suppressor protein. Global research focus has been aimed mainly toward this direction. In this thematic issue, updated information has been collected regarding the structure, function and signaling of WWOX, along with its critical role as a tumor suppressor and participation in metabolism, neurodegeneration, ataxia, epilepsy, neural disorders, neuronal damages, and interactions with oncogenic viruses. WWOX is not a driver of cancer initiation. Chromosomal alterations in the WWOX gene enhance cancer progression. Importantly, a homozygous nonsense mutation of WWOX gene in humans leads to neural pathologies and early death, rather than spontaneous cancer development. These findings suggest new physiological functions of WWOX in metabolism and neural diseases, and these areas require further investigation.
authors: Experimental Biology and Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101 Taiwan; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210 USA; Department of Neurochemistry, NYS Institute of Basic Research for Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314 USA changns@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
authors: Nan-Shan
authors: NS
authors: Chang
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000074584:WW Domain-Containing Oxidoreductase
chemical_list: D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D000074584:WW Domain-Containing Oxidoreductase; C486071:WWOX protein, human
keywords: FOR; WOX1; WWOX; cancer; metabolism; neural diseases