[Phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) in basic and clinical study]

Phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) is a highly conserved group of multifunctional proteins found in a variety of different species. In the same species, it is expressed in numerous tissues and cell types. PEBP plays a pivotal modulatory role in several signal transduction pathways. PEBP inhibits the MAPK pathway through interacting with Raf-1, so it's also known as Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP). PEBP is involved in the regulation of PKC, G-protein-coupled receptor and NF-kappaB signaling pathway as well. In clinical researches, it was found that as the precursor of hippocampal cholinergic neurostimulating peptide (HCNP), PEBP has an important effect on the development of Alzheimer's disease. Recent evidence imply that PEBP function as a metastasis suppressor gene because it can suppress metastasis and promote apoptosis in tumor cells. In colorectal cancer, high methylation of the promoter region of PEBP gene results in the non-expression of PEBP, that maybe the molecular basis of tumor metastasis. The latest studies demonstrate that PEBP regulates the spindle checkpoint in cell cycle and loss of PEBP can leads to chromosomal abnormalities.