Urrutia R
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Int J Pancreatol. 1997 Aug;22(1):1-14. doi: 10.1007/BF02803899.
Transcription factors are DNA binding proteins that regulate gene expression in response to a large variety of extracellular stimuli, and thereby act as key molecular switches for controlling cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. During the last decade, a myriad of these proteins have been identified and classified into different structural families, including homeobox, zinc finger, leucine zipper, and helix-loop-helix transcription factors. Members of the homeobox and zinc finger superfamilies are among the best-characterized transcription factors known to act as potent regulators of normal development in organisms ranging from insects to humans. In addition, mutations or aberrant expression in genes encoding these proteins can result in neoplastic transformation in several different cell types, further supporting their role as "guardians" of normal cell growth and differentiation. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review this field of research with a particular emphasis on the role of homeobox- and zinc finger-containing transcription factors in pancreatic cell growth, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. The potential participation of these proteins in neoplastic transformation is also discussed.
转录因子是一类DNA结合蛋白，可响应多种细胞外刺激来调节基因表达，从而充当控制细胞分化、增殖和凋亡的关键分子开关。在过去十年中，已鉴定出大量此类蛋白质，并将其分为不同的结构家族，包括同源框、锌指、亮氨酸拉链和螺旋-环-螺旋转录因子。同源框和锌指超家族的成员是已知的特征最明确的转录因子之一，它们在从昆虫到人类等多种生物体中作为正常发育的有效调节因子发挥作用。此外，编码这些蛋白质的基因发生突变或异常表达可导致几种不同细胞类型发生肿瘤转化，这进一步支持了它们作为正常细胞生长和分化“守护者”的作用。因此，本文旨在综述该研究领域，特别强调含同源框和锌指的转录因子在胰腺细胞生长、细胞分化和凋亡中的作用。还讨论了这些蛋白质在肿瘤转化中的潜在参与情况。
