Abstract
Tumor suppressor proteins protect cells and tissues from malignant transformation. Among their diverse actions, many of these proteins interact with the microtubule cytoskeleton. This review focuses on the interactions of several tumor suppressors with microtubules and speculates on how disruption of microtubule-dependent processes may contribute to cancer development and spread. We conclude that several tumor suppressors stabilize microtubules and organize microtubule arrays, functions that are likely to be important in preventing tumorigenesis. How tumor suppressors link microtubule stability with cell fate, and how their mutation affects the response of cancer cells to anti-microtubule chemotherapy drugs, remains unclear; these should prove fertile areas for future research.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 304-315 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | DMM Disease Models and Mechanisms |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 5-6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience (miscellaneous)
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Immunology and Microbiology (miscellaneous)
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology