The Roles of Zinc Finger Proteins in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Despite colorectal cancer remaining a leading worldwide cause of cancer-related death, there remains a paucity of effective treatments for advanced disease. The molecular mechanisms underlying the development of colorectal cancer include altered cell signaling and cell cycle regulation that may result from epigenetic modifications of gene expression and function. Acting as important transcriptional regulators of normal biological processes, zinc finger proteins also play key roles in regulating the cellular mechanisms underlying colorectal neoplasia. These actions impact cell differentiation and proliferation, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, apoptosis, homeostasis, senescence, and maintenance of stemness. With the goal of highlighting promising points of therapeutic intervention, we review the oncogenic and tumor suppressor roles of zinc finger proteins with respect to colorectal cancer tumorigenesis and progression.

The epigenetic landscape in intestinal stem cells and its deregulation in colorectal cancer

“… 152 , 153 For example, genes upregulated as a consequence of PRC1 ablation, including Zic genes and WNT associated Lgr5 , Axin2 and Ascl2 genes, were also up- or downregulated in Eed -KO mice, suggesting that both PRC1 and PRC2 share ISC target genes. 16 , 18 These common targets are important for the development of CRC, where Zic gene family is involved in EMT, metastasis, and proliferation, 154 while the WNT signaling pathway is considered a driver of colon cancer. 155 However, variant non-canonical PRC1 (vPRC1.1/3/5/6) can also bind the chromatin independent of H3K27me3 and deposit H2AK119Ub mark.…”