Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
Published on: April 7, 2017
PRC2: an epigenetic multiprotein complex with a key role in the development of rhabdomyosarcoma carcinogenesis
Stefano Zoroddu1, Irene Marchesi1,2, Luigi Bagella3,4
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
Abstract:
Skeletal muscle formation represents a complex of highly organized and specialized systems that are still not fully understood. Epigenetic systems underline embryonic development, maintenance of stemness, and progression of differentiation. Polycomb group proteins play the role of gene silencing of stemness markers that regulate muscle differentiation. Enhancer of Zeste EZH2 is the catalytic subunit of the complex that is able to trimethylate lysine 27 of histone H3 and induce silencing of the involved genes. In embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma and several other tumors, EZH2 is often deregulated and, in some cases, is associated with tumor malignancy. This review explores the molecular processes underlying the failure of muscle differentiation with a focus on the PRC2 complex. These considerations could open new studies aimed at the development of new cutting-edge therapeutic strategies in the onset of Rhabdomyosarcoma.
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
The Ras Gene
Ras is a...
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Negative Regulator Molecules
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...

