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The regulation of snail: on the ubiquitin edge

Qian Yu1,2, Binhua P Zhou3,2, Yadi Wu1,2

  • 1Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40506, USA.

Cancer Cell & Microenvironment
|November 18, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells stabilize the Snail protein, a key factor in metastasis, by preventing its degradation. The deubiquinase Dub3 plays a crucial role in this process, offering a potential new target for cancer treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Metastasis is responsible for most cancer deaths, with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) being a critical process.
  • EMT is regulated by transcription factors like Snail, which has a short half-life in normal cells but is stabilized in cancer cells.
  • The mechanism of Snail stabilization in cancer cells, preventing its ubiquitination and degradation, was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism by which Snail stability is increased in cancer cells.
  • To identify the role of deubiquitinases in regulating Snail stability.
  • To explore the potential of targeting this pathway for cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated the interaction between Snail and deubiquitinases.
  • Examined the effect of extracellular signals, such as IL-6, on Snail regulation.
  • Assessed the impact of Dub3 on Snail degradation and cancer cell behavior.

Main Results:

  • Identified Dub3 as a deubiquinase that targets Snail.
  • Demonstrated that Dub3 responds to extracellular signals like IL-6.
  • Showed that Dub3-mediated stabilization of Snail promotes cancer growth, invasion, and migration.

Conclusions:

  • Dub3 stabilizes the transcription factor Snail by preventing its ubiquitination and degradation in cancer cells.
  • Dub3 acts as a crucial link between extracellular signals and Snail stability, driving metastatic progression.
  • Targeting Dub3 represents a promising therapeutic strategy to inhibit cancer metastasis.
Keywords:
Dub3EMTSnailmetastasisubiquitination

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