Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Functional Characterization of RING-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligases In Vitro and In Planta
10:27

Functional Characterization of RING-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligases In Vitro and In Planta

Published on: December 5, 2019

8.9K

Zooming into the structure-function of RING finger proteins for anti-cancer therapeutic applications

Mary George1, Priscilla Masamba1, Bamidele Abiodun Iwalokun2

  • 1Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology (MBSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa.

American Journal of Cancer Research
|August 10, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The Really Interesting New Gene (RING) protein family plays a key role in cancer development. Targeting these pro-cancer proteins offers a promising strategy for novel anti-cancer therapeutics to inhibit tumor growth.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Cancer is a leading global disease with increasing incidence.
  • Pro-cancer proteins are critical targets for therapeutic intervention.
  • The Really Interesting New Gene (RING) domain is implicated in key cellular processes relevant to cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structure and function of RING finger proteins in cancer biology.
  • To identify specific RING finger proteins as potential therapeutic targets.
  • To explore the potential of inhibiting these proteins for anti-cancer drug development.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on RING finger protein structure and function.
  • Analysis of known roles in apoptosis, neddylation, and ubiquitination.
  • Identification of specific RING finger proteins implicated in tumorigenesis.

Main Results:

  • The RING domain is a cysteine-rich, zinc-binding motif crucial for protein stability and function.
  • Several RING finger proteins (e.g., Parkin, MDM2, BRCA-1) are validated targets in cancer.
  • Inhibition of these proteins can disrupt pathways driving tumor development and metastasis.

Conclusions:

  • RING finger proteins are vital regulators of cellular processes and are frequently dysregulated in cancer.
  • Targeting specific RING finger proteins represents a viable strategy for developing new anti-cancer therapies.
  • Further research into RING protein inhibitors holds significant therapeutic potential for cancer treatment.
Keywords:
Anti-cancer therapeuticsParkinRING finger proteinsneddylationubiquitination

More Related Videos

Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis09:58

Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis

Published on: June 27, 2020

2.8K
Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics06:00

Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics

Published on: May 14, 2016

11.1K

Related Concept Videos

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
6.6K
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors01:27

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
2.5K
The Contractile Ring02:15

The Contractile Ring

Contractile rings are composed of microfilaments and are responsible for separating the daughter cells during cytokinesis. Contractile ring assembly proceeds along with other cell cycle events; however, very few mechanistic details are known about the timing and coordination of the contractile rings with the cell cycle.
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
6.4K
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
4.8K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
7.7K
Protein Networks02:26

Protein Networks

An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions.
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
4.0K