Microtubule actin cross‐linking factor 1, a novel potential target in cancer

Abstract

Cancer is a polygenic disease characterized by uncontrolled growth of normal body cells, deregulation of the cell cycle as well as resistance to apoptosis. The spectraplakin protein microtubule actin cross‐linking factor 1 (MACF1) plays an essential function in various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, migration, signaling transduction and embryo development. MACF1 is also involved in processes such as metastatic invasion in which cytoskeleton organization is a critical element that contributes to tumor progression in various human cancers. Aberrant expression of MACF1 initiates the tumor cell proliferation, and migration and metastasis in numerous cancers, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and glioblastoma. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of MACF1 and its critical role in different human cancers. This will be helpful for researchers to investigate the novel functional role of MACF1 in human cancers and as a potential target to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic treatment modalities.

<p>Decreasing Microtubule Actin Cross-Linking Factor 1 Inhibits Melanoma Metastasis by Decreasing Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition</p>

“…MACF1 is also involved in metastatic invasion in which organization of the cytoskeleton is a critical contributing element to tumor progression in various human cancers. 9,10 In a recent report, it was shown that MACF1 was predominately present in grade III-IV astrocytomas and grade IV glioblastoma, but not in normal brain tissue and astrocytes or lower grade brain tumors. 10 These findings suggested that MACF1 function may not only be related to the regulation of normal cellular physiology, including cytoskeleton organization, but also to cellular pathology, such as tumor progression in numerous cancers.…”

Construction of a 6-gene prognostic signature to assess prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer

“…Aberrant expression of MACF1 was observed in several cancers, such as colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and glioblastoma, which initiated cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. [ 26 ]…”

Emerging roles of allosteric modulators in the regulation of protein‐protein interactions (PPIs): A new paradigm for PPI drug discovery

“…These structures resemble hollow cylindrical tubes composed of 13 linear protofilaments built from α‐ and β‐tubulins . PPIs between α‐ and β‐tubulins mediate the dynamics of microtubules (MTs), which are essential to their functions and are involved in oncogenesis . Therefore, microtubule‐stabilizing agents (MSAs), which stabilize intertubulin PPIs, halt abnormal cell cycles and induce apoptosis, have become a dynamic field of cancer therapeutics and are now frequently used as anticancer drugs .…”

“…11,195,196 PPIs between αand β-tubulins mediate the dynamics of microtubules (MTs), which are essential to their functions and are involved in oncogenesis. [197][198][199] Therefore, microtubule-stabilizing agents (MSAs), which stabilize intertubulin PPIs, halt abnormal cell cycles and induce apoptosis, 198,200,201 have become a dynamic field of cancer therapeutics and are now frequently used as anticancer drugs. 193 that 19 bound to a pocket distal to the tubulin PPI interface, suggesting an allosteric mechanism by the 19.…”