Role of regucalcin in cell nuclear regulation: involvement as a transcription factor

• Published in: Cell and tissue research Vol. 354; no. 2; pp. 331 - 341
• Main Author: Yamaguchi, Masayoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.11.2013; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biosynthesis; calcium; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium-Binding Proteins - analysis; Calcium-Binding Proteins - genetics; Calcium-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Cell growth; Cell Nucleus - chemistry; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; cell proliferation; Cytoplasm; DNA; DNA - genetics; DNA - metabolism; DNA fragmentation; enzyme activation; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; hepatocytes; homeostasis; Human Genetics; Humans; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - analysis; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - genetics; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Molecular Medicine; phosphoprotein phosphatase; Phosphotransferases; Protein binding; protein kinases; Proteins; Proteomics; Review; RNA; Signal transduction; transcription factors; Transcription Factors - analysis; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; X chromosome; Nucleus; DNA and RNA synthesis; signaling; Protein kinase and phosphatase; Regucalcin; Gene expression; Ca
• ISSN: 0302-766X; 1432-0878
• DOI: 10.1007/s00441-013-1665-z

Regucalcin (RGN/SMP30) was discovered in 1978 as a calcium (Ca²⁺)-binding protein that contains no EF-hand motif of the Ca²⁺-binding domain. The name of regucalcin was proposed for this Ca²⁺-binding protein, which can regulate various Ca²⁺-dependent enzyme activations in liver cells. The regucalcin gene is localized on the X chromosome. Regucalcin plays a multifunctional role in cell regulation through maintaining intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis and suppressing signal transduction in various cell types. The cytoplasmic regucalcin is translocated into the nucleus and inhibits nuclear Ca²⁺-dependent and -independent protein kinases and protein phosphatases, Ca²⁺-activated deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation and DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis. Moreover, overexpression of endogenous regucalcin regulates the gene expression of various proteins that are related to cell proliferation and apoptosis. This review will discuss the role of regucalcin in the regulation of cell nuclear function and an involvement in gene expression as a novel transcription factor.