The RASSF1A Tumor Suppressor Regulates a Cascade of Oncogenic Signals That Are Restrained by G1

dc.contributor.advisorWhite, Michael A.en
dc.creatorRam, Rosalyn Ruangaen
dc.date.accessioned2012-07-17T14:53:03Zen
dc.date.accessioned2014-02-19T22:03:21Z
dc.date.available2012-07-17T14:53:03Zen
dc.date.available2014-02-19T22:03:21Z
dc.date.issued2012-07-17en
dc.description.abstractThe RASSF1A tumor suppressor is one of the most commonly inactivated genes in cancer. To understand why epigenetic silencing of RASSF1A promotes tumorigenesis, I employed a loss of function approach to elucidate the role of RASSF1A in cancer. RASSF1A is reported to regulate apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and microtubule dynamics. Disruption of these processes by RASSF1A loss may disrupt cellular integrity and promote oncogenesis. I found that RASSF1A depletion elevated oncogenic signaling pathways; however, RASSF1A depletion also induced cell cycle arrest. RASSF1A is a critical regulator in maintaining the balance between pro-growth and anti-growth signals. RASSF1A suppresses proliferative signaling pathways such as the MAPK pathway, promotes apoptosis through MST2, but paradoxically, promotes G1/S progression through modulation of the ubiquitin ligase SCF-BTrCP. Thus, RASSF1A represents a critical line of defense against tumorigenesis as its loss triggers cell arrest; however, loss of RASSF1A also promotes proliferative signaling events, and additional malfunctions in cell cycle regulation will likely drive tumorigenesis. [Keywords: RassflA, mir21, SKp2, REST, SCFBTRCP]en
dc.identifier.other812619705en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152.5/1004en
dc.subjectTumor Suppressor Proteinsen
dc.subjectUbiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexesen
dc.subjectCell Cycleen
dc.titleThe RASSF1A Tumor Suppressor Regulates a Cascade of Oncogenic Signals That Are Restrained by G1en
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.date.available2014-07-06en
thesis.degree.disciplineCancer Biologyen
thesis.degree.grantorGraduate School of Biomedical Sciencesen
thesis.degree.levelPh.D.en
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen

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