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Living or dying by RNA processing: caspase expression in NSCLC

Ganesh Shankarling1, Kristen W Lynch

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.

The Journal of Clinical Investigation
|October 26, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Researchers found that a protein called heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein L (hnRNP L) is altered in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This altered hnRNP L promotes cancer cell survival by affecting a protein that prevents cell death.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research
  • RNA Processing

Background:

  • RNA processing steps critically regulate human gene expression, influencing disease pathogenesis.
  • Aberrant alternative splicing and mRNA stability of cancer-related genes are implicated in tumor formation and progression.
  • The specific regulators controlling these altered gene expressions in cancer remain largely unidentified.

Discussion:

  • Goehe et al. identify heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein L (hnRNP L) as a key player in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • hnRNP L undergoes specific phosphorylation in NSCLC, distinguishing it from normal cells.
  • This modification links hnRNP L to the regulation of apoptosis-related genes.

Key Insights:

  • Phosphorylated hnRNP L directly enhances the expression of the antiapoptotic form of caspase-9.
  • This mechanism contributes to the uncontrolled cell proliferation and survival characteristic of NSCLC.
  • The study elucidates a novel regulatory pathway in lung tumorigenesis.

Outlook:

  • Further investigation into hnRNP L phosphorylation could reveal new therapeutic targets for NSCLC.
  • Understanding hnRNP L's role may provide insights into other cancers driven by RNA processing alterations.
  • This work highlights the importance of RNA-binding proteins in cancer development and progression.

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