Revving the Throttle on an oncogene: CDK8 takes the driver seat.

Abstract

The Wnt/beta-catenin pathway plays an important role in initiation in most, if not all, colon cancers. Prior work has provided important insights into the regulation of beta-catenin stability in the cytoplasm; however, relatively little is known about the mechanism by which beta-catenin activates gene transcription in the nucleus. Using genetic approaches, studies in human colon cancers and Drosophila have identified CDK8 as a colon cancer oncogene that regulates beta-catenin transcriptional activity. These convergent observations provide new insights into the regulation of nuclear beta-catenin activity and identify a novel therapeutic target for beta-catenin-driven malignancies.

• Authors: Ron Firestein, William C Hahn
• Journal: Cancer research (Cancer Res) Vol. 69 Issue 20 Pg. 7899-901 (Oct 15 2009) ISSN: 1538-7445 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19808961 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Review)

Chemical References

• beta Catenin
• CDK8 protein, human
• Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 8

Topics

• Animals
• Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 8 (physiology)
• Gene Expression Regulation (physiology)
• Humans
• Neoplasms (genetics, pathology)
• Oncogenes (physiology)
• beta Catenin (genetics)