Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, School of Medicine Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Cancer Invest. 2011 Mar;29(3):187-95. doi: 10.3109/07357907.2010.512605. Epub 2011 Feb 4.
Cancer not only is associated with inherited genetic sequences but also results from epigenetic changes. Thus, understanding the mechanisms underlying epigenetic modifications is important for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. There is much evidence showing that some Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are abnormally expressed in certain tumors. This review addresses biological functions and biochemical behaviors of the Polycomb repression complex proteins, including their enzymatic activities. Additionally, the potential mechanisms of PcG gene silencing by PcG and its link to cancers are summarized that will shed light on this novel area of study in cancer.
癌症不仅与遗传基因序列有关，还与表观遗传变化有关。因此，了解表观遗传修饰的机制对于癌症的预防、诊断和治疗非常重要。有大量证据表明，某些 Polycomb 组（PcG）蛋白在某些肿瘤中异常表达。本综述讨论了 Polycomb 抑制复合物蛋白的生物学功能和生化行为，包括它们的酶活性。此外，还总结了 PcG 基因沉默的潜在机制及其与癌症的联系，这将为癌症研究的这一新领域提供启示。
