RINGs of good and evil: RING finger ubiquitin ligases at the crossroads of tumour suppression and oncogenesis

• Published in: Nature reviews. Cancer Vol. 11; no. 9; pp. 629 - 643
• Main Authors: Lipkowitz, Stanley, Weissman, Allan M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.09.2011
• Subjects: adenomatous polyposis coli; Anaphase; Anemia; BRCA1 protein; Cancer; Cbl protein; Development and progression; Fanconi's anemia; Finger; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; genomics; Homeostasis; Humans; MDM2 protein; Molecular Structure; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - physiopathology; Physiological aspects; Prevention; proteasomes; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; RING Finger Domains; Risk factors; Tumor Suppressor Proteins - genetics; Tumor Suppressor Proteins - metabolism; Tumorigenesis; Ubiquitin; Ubiquitin-protein ligase; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - genetics; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - metabolism; Ubiquitination; VHL protein; United States
• ISSN: 1474-175X; 1474-1768
• DOI: 10.1038/nrc3120

The ubiquitin-proteasome system has numerous crucial roles in physiology and pathophysiology. Fundamental to the specificity of this system are ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3s). Of these, the majority are RING finger and RING finger-related E3s. Many RING finger E3s have roles in processes that are central to the maintenance of genomic integrity and cellular homeostasis, such as the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), the SKP1-cullin 1-F-box protein (SCF) E3s, MDM2, BRCA1, Fanconi anaemia proteins, CBL proteins, von Hippel-Lindau tumour suppressor (VHL) and SIAH proteins. As a result, many RING finger E3s are implicated in either the suppression or the progression of cancer. This Review summarizes current knowledge in this area.