Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Identification of Transcription Factor Regulators using Medium-Throughput Screening of Arrayed Libraries and a Dual-Luciferase-Based Reporter
11:32

Identification of Transcription Factor Regulators using Medium-Throughput Screening of Arrayed Libraries and a Dual-Luciferase-Based Reporter

Published on: March 27, 2020

XIAP-associated factor 1 interacts with and attenuates the trans-activity of four and a Half LIM protein 2

Wenjing Zhang1, Yi Yang, Bo Jiang

  • 1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Molecular Carcinogenesis
|November 25, 2010
PubMed

Insights

XIAP-associated factor 1 (XAF1), a tumor suppressor, interacts with Four and a half LIM domain protein 2 (FHL2). XAF1 antagonizes FHL2

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • XIAP-associated factor 1 (XAF1) is a tumor suppressor whose functions are not fully understood.
  • Four and a half LIM domain protein 2 (FHL2) is an adaptor protein involved in protein-protein interactions.
  • The interaction between XAF1 and FHL2 remains unclear despite their simple structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interaction between XAF1 and FHL2.
  • To elucidate the functional relationship between XAF1 and FHL2 in cancer cells.
  • To understand the antagonistic mechanism between XAF1 and FHL2.

Main Methods:

  • Yeast two-hybrid system to detect protein-protein interactions.
  • Cellular localization studies in gastric cancer cells.
  • Assessment of transcriptional activities of β-catenin and AP-1.

Main Results:

  • FHL2 was identified as a binding protein for XAF1.
  • Both XAF1 and FHL2 were found in the cytoplasm, mitochondria, and nucleus of gastric cancer cells.
  • XAF1 overexpression excluded FHL2 from the nucleus and inhibited FHL2's stimulation of β-catenin and AP-1 transcriptional activities.

Conclusions:

  • XAF1 and FHL2 interact and share cellular localization.
  • XAF1 acts antagonistically to FHL2, suppressing its oncogenic functions.
  • This study reveals a novel tumor suppressor mechanism involving XAF1 and FHL2 in cancer.

More Related Videos

Pooled shRNA Screen for Reactivation of MeCP2 on the Inactive X Chromosome11:15

Pooled shRNA Screen for Reactivation of MeCP2 on the Inactive X Chromosome

Published on: March 2, 2018

A Non-random Mouse Model for Pharmacological Reactivation of Mecp2 on the Inactive X Chromosome08:27

A Non-random Mouse Model for Pharmacological Reactivation of Mecp2 on the Inactive X Chromosome

Published on: May 22, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
X-Inactivation01:58

X-Inactivation

The human X chromosome contains over ten times the number of genes as in the Y chromosome. Since males have only one X chromosome, and females have two, one might expect females to produce twice as many of the proteins, with undesirable results.
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins02:36

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...
Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes02:42

Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes

Transcriptional attenuation occurs when RNA transcription is prematurely terminated due to the formation of a terminator mRNA hairpin structure.  Bacteria use these hairpins to regulate the transcription process and control the synthesis of several amino acids including histidine, lysine, threonine, and phenylalanine. Transcription attenuation takes place in the non-coding regions of mRNA.
There are several different mechanisms used to attenuate transcription. In ribosome mediated...
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors01:52

Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors

Certain biochemical processes, such as embryonic development and cell growth regulation, depend on the repression of specific genes. DNA binding proteins known as eukaryotic transcription inhibitors regulate the repression of gene expression in eukaryotes. The presence of these inhibitors at the required location and time in the cell is triggered by the presence of hormones and additional signals from other cells.
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a DNA...