title: Towards molecular mechanisms regulating the expression of galectins in cancer cells under microenvironmental stress conditions.
abstract: Galectins, a family of soluble β-galactoside-binding proteins, serve as mediators of fundamental biological processes, such as cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, migration, survival, and death. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the ways in which the expression of individual galectins differs in normal and transformed human cells exposed to various stimuli mimicking physiological and pathological microenvironmental stress conditions. A conceptual point is being made and grounded that the modulation of galectin expression profiles is a key aspect of cellular stress responses. Moreover, this modulation might be precisely regulated at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in the context of non-overlapping transcription factors and miRNAs specific to galectins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada. atimoshe@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Timoshenko
mesh_terms: D060833:Cellular Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics; D037161:Galectins / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005810:Multigene Family; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D037161:Galectins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Apoptosis; Cancer; Cell survival; Cellular stress responses; Galectins; Hypoxia; Transcription factors; miRNA