title: Autophagy modulator plays a part in UV protection.
abstract: Ultraviolet (UV)-induced DNA damage is a major risk factor for skin cancers including melanoma. UVRAG, originally identified to complement UV sensitivity in xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), has since been implicated in modulating macroautophagy/autophagy, in coordinating different intracellular trafficking pathways, and in maintaining chromosomal stability. Intriguingly, our recent study has demonstrated that UVRAG plays an essential role in protecting cells from UV-induced DNA damage by activating the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. Since NER is the major mechanism by which cells maintain DNA integrity against UV insult, the inactivation of UVRAG seen in some melanoma may impart these cells with an ability to accumulate high-load UV mutagenesis, leading to cancer progression. Thus, this property of UVRAG has untapped potential to be of fundamental importance in understanding the genetics and pathogenesis of human skin cancer.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Yongfei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quach
authors.affiliation: a Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Chengyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D044842:Cullin Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009154:Mutation; D010777:Photochemistry; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014983:Xeroderma Pigmentosum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C114234:CUL4A protein, human; D044842:Cullin Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C408122:UVRAG protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
keywords: NER; UV-induced photolesion; UVRAG; autophagy; melanoma