Unlocking the Power of JUN: Groundbreaking Discovery Reveals Protein’s Crucial Role in Halting Liver Cancer Growth
Breakthrough Discovery in Liver Cancer Research: JUN Protein Plays Key Role in Inhibiting Tumor Growth
Source: BioValley original 2024-09-12 11:48
Our findings reveal additional control mechanisms for the interaction between YAP/TAZ and JUN.
Yes-associated protein (YAP) and its homolog, transcriptional coactivator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ), are the main transcriptional downstream effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway. A recent research report, published in The EMBO Journal, has shed light on a non-canonical repressor function of JUN that restrains YAP activity and liver cancer growth.
In the study, scientists from the Fritz Lipmann Institute in Germany and other institutions found that the JUN protein plays a crucial role in inhibiting YAP and TAZ, both of which strongly promote the formation of tumors in the body when they are dysfunctional. This discovery was made by analyzing the data of over 8,000 patients and realizing the abnormalities in the bodies of liver cancer patients.
Image source: The EMBO Journal (2024). DOI:10.1038/s44318-024-00188-0
Under normal circumstances, the activity of YAP and TAZ is controlled by the Hippo signaling pathway. However, the researchers clarified that JUN can directly inhibit the activity of these cancer-promoting proteins, describing it as an additional control mechanism that can override the Hippo signaling pathway. In liver cancer, the misregulation of JUN leads to the uncontrolled activation of YAP and TAZ, promoting tumor growth.
JUN completes two basic functions: participating in inflammatory and regenerative processes in the body’s cells. This dual function may significantly affect the occurrence of cancer and other diseases, as well as their treatment. The factors that determine whether JUN regulates the body’s inflammatory or regenerative processes remain unknown.
The study’s results clarify the additional control mechanism of the interaction between YAP/TAZ and JUN, providing a new perspective for cancer research and potentially leading to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
References:
Yuliya Kurlishchuk, Anita Cindric Vranesic, Marco Jessen, et al. A non-canonical repressor function of JUN restrains YAP activity and liver cancer growth The EMBO Journal (2024). DOI:10.1038/s44318-024-00188-0