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Regulation of processing bodies: From viruses to cancer epigenetic machinery

Sunmathy Kanakamani1, Padmanaban S Suresh2, Thejaswini Venkatesh1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Central University of Kerala, Kasargod, India.

Cell Biology International
|December 16, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Processing bodies (PBs), crucial for gene regulation, change during viral infections. This review explores PB protein methylation in cancer, highlighting their potential as diagnostic biomarkers.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Processing bodies (PBs) are cytoplasmic mRNP granules regulating eukaryotic gene expression.
  • PBs are involved in mRNA decay, microRNA silencing, and splicing, maintained by RNA-protein interactions.
  • PB dynamics are altered by cellular cues and stresses, including viral infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review PB modulations during viral infections.
  • To discuss epigenetic modifications, specifically methylation, of PB proteins in cancer.
  • To explore the potential of these modified PB proteins as cancer biomarkers.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on PBs, viral infections, and cancer.
  • Analysis of research on PB protein function and regulation.
  • Examination of epigenetic modifications in cancer-associated PB genes.

Main Results:

  • PBs and their components undergo significant changes in response to viral infections.
  • Specific PB proteins implicated in cancer development exhibit altered methylation patterns.
  • These methylation changes suggest a role for PBs in cancer pathogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • PB dynamics are influenced by viral infections, impacting gene expression regulation.
  • Methylation of cancer-associated PB proteins represents a potential avenue for cancer biomarker development.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise role of PBs in cancer and their utility as biomarkers.
Keywords:
biomarkercancerepigeneticsmethylationprocessing-bodystress granules

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