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The perinucleolar compartment associates with malignancy
Yiping Wen1, Chen Wang2, Sui Huang2
1Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, IL 60611, USA ; College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan 625014, China.
Abstract:
The perinucleolar compartment (PNC) is a unique nuclear substructure, forming predominantly in cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. PNC prevalence (percentage of cells containing at least one PNC) has been found to positively correlate with disease progression in several cancers (breast, ovarian, and colon). While there is a clear association between PNCs and cancer, the molecular function of the PNC remains unclear. Here we summarize the current understanding of the association of PNCs with cancer and its possible functions in cancer cells.
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