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Published on: January 16, 2015
[The biological complexity of Polycomb group proteins: the case of EZH2]
Myriam Koubi1, Christian Chabannon2, Estelle Duprez1
1Centre de recherche en cancérologie de Marseille, U1068 Inserm, UMR 7258 CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, 27, boulevard Lei Roure, CS30059, 13273 Marseille Cedex 09, France.
Abstract:
Polycomb Group proteins (PcG) are repressive epigenetic factors essential for development and involved in numerous cancer processes, yet their modes of action and recruitment to specific genomic loci are not fully understood. Recently, it has been shown that the PcG protein recruitment is a dynamic process, contrary to what was foreseen in the initial hierarchical model. In addition, EZH2, a key PcG protein, can be associated to transcribed genes, challenging the former function of PcG proteins as transcriptional repressors. Furthermore, the dual role of EZH2, which can act as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor depending on the cellular type, illustrates the functional complexity of PcG proteins.
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