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Deregulated Repression of c-Jun Provides a Potential Link to its Role in Tumorigenesis

Volume 3, Issue 2   February 2004
Pages 109 - 111
http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/cc.3.2.648
Authors: Carsten Weiss and Dirk Bohmann

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Abstract:
The transcription factor c-Jun cooperates with oncogenic alleles of ras in malignant transformation. Constitutively active Ras causes, via activation of mitogen activated protein kinases, to phosphorylation of c-Jun which is essential for subsequent target gene activation and tumorigenesis. Studying the mechanisms controlling c-Jun activity we found that its transcription activation function is actively repressed by a presumably multimeric repressor complex that includes histone deacetylase 3 as a critical subunit. Suppression of c-Jun is relieved by kinase-mediated phosphorylation and/or titration of inhibitor components. The viral tumorigenic counterpart of c-Jun, v-Jun, escapes this inhibition, suggesting deregulated transcriptional activity of c-Jun as a relevant cause for carcinogenesis.

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