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Bu H, Li Z, Lu Y, Zhuang Z, Zhen Y, Zhang L. Deciphering the multifunctional role of dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) and its therapeutic potential in disease. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 255:115404. [PMID: 37098296 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
Dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK, MAP3K12), a serine/threonine protein kinase, plays a key role in neuronal development, as it regulates axon regeneration and degeneration through its downstream kinase. Importantly, DLK is closely related to the pathogenesis of numerous neurodegenerative diseases and the induction of β-cell apoptosis that leads to diabetes. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of DLK function, and then discuss the role of DLK signaling in human diseases. Furthermore, various types of small molecule inhibitors of DLK that have been published so far are described in detail in this paper, providing some strategies for the design of DLK small molecule inhibitors in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqing Bu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Zhijia Li
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Yingying Lu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Zhiyao Zhuang
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Yongqi Zhen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Lan Zhang
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China.
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Simard-Bisson C, Bidoggia J, Larouche D, Guérin SL, Blouin R, Hirai SI, Germain L. A Role for DLK in Microtubule Reorganization to the Cell Periphery and in the Maintenance of Desmosomal and Tight Junction Integrity. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 137:132-141. [PMID: 27519653 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Dual leucine zipper-bearing kinase (DLK) is an inducer of keratinocyte differentiation, a complex process also involving microtubule reorganization to the cell periphery. However, signaling mechanisms involved in this process remain to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that DLK enhances and is required for microtubule reorganization to the cell periphery in human cell culture models and in Dlk knockout mouse embryos. In tissue-engineered skins with reduced DLK expression, cortical distribution of two microtubule regulators, LIS1 and HSP27, is impaired as well as desmosomal and tight junction integrity. Altered cortical distribution of desmosomal and tight junction proteins was also confirmed in Dlk knockout mouse embryos. Finally, desmosomal and tight junction defects were also observed after microtubule disruption in nocodazole-treated tissue-engineered skins, thus confirming a role for microtubules in the maintenance of these types of cell junctions. Globally, this study demonstrates that DLK is a key regulator of microtubule reorganization to the cell periphery during keratinocyte differentiation and that this process is required for the maintenance of desmosomal and tight junction integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyne Simard-Bisson
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval and Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale de l'Université Laval/LOEX, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de Chirurgie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Julie Bidoggia
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval and Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale de l'Université Laval/LOEX, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Danielle Larouche
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval and Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale de l'Université Laval/LOEX, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de Chirurgie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvain L Guérin
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval and Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale de l'Université Laval/LOEX, Québec, Québec, Canada; Centre Universitaire d'Ophtalmologie (CUO)-Recherche, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département d'Ophtalmologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard Blouin
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Syu-Ichi Hirai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan; Department of Biology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Lucie Germain
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval and Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale de l'Université Laval/LOEX, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département de Chirurgie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada; Département d'Ophtalmologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.
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Blondeau A, Lucier JF, Matteau D, Dumont L, Rodrigue S, Jacques PÉ, Blouin R. Dual leucine zipper kinase regulates expression of axon guidance genes in mouse neuronal cells. Neural Dev 2016; 11:13. [PMID: 27468987 PMCID: PMC4965899 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-016-0068-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent genetic studies in model organisms, such as Drosophila, C. elegans and mice, have highlighted a critical role for dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) in neural development and axonal responses to injury. However, exactly how DLK fulfills these functions remains to be determined. Using RNA-seq profiling, we evaluated the global changes in gene expression that are caused by shRNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous DLK in differentiated Neuro-2a neuroblastoma cells. Results Our analysis led to the identification of numerous up- and down-regulated genes, among which several were found to be associated with system development and axon guidance according to gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, respectively. Because of their importance in axonal growth, pruning and regeneration during development and adult life, we then examined by quantitative RT-PCR the mRNA expression levels of the identified axon guidance genes in DLK-depleted cells. Consistent with the RNA-seq data, our results confirmed that loss of DLK altered expression of the genes encoding neuropilin 1 (Nrp1), plexin A4 (Plxna4), Eph receptor A7 (Epha7), Rho family GTPase 1 (Rnd1) and semaphorin 6B (Sema6b). Interestingly, this regulation of Nrp1 and Plxna4 mRNA expression by DLK in Neuro-2a cells was also reflected at the protein level, implicating DLK in the modulation of the function of these axon guidance molecules. Conclusions Collectively, these results provide the first evidence that axon guidance genes are downstream targets of the DLK signaling pathway, which through their regulation probably modulates neuronal cell development, structure and function. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13064-016-0068-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréanne Blondeau
- Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Jean-François Lucier
- Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Dominick Matteau
- Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Lauralyne Dumont
- Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Sébastien Rodrigue
- Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Pierre-Étienne Jacques
- Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada.,Département d'informatique, Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Richard Blouin
- Département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1K 2R1, Canada.
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Stahnke MJ, Dickel C, Schröder S, Kaiser D, Blume R, Stein R, Pouponnot C, Oetjen E. Inhibition of human insulin gene transcription and MafA transcriptional activity by the dual leucine zipper kinase. Cell Signal 2014; 26:1792-9. [PMID: 24726898 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2014.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Insulin biosynthesis is an essential β-cell function and inappropriate insulin secretion and biosynthesis contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus type 2. Previous studies showed that the dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) induces β-cell apoptosis. Since β-cell dysfunction precedes β-cell loss, in the present study the effect of DLK on insulin gene transcription was investigated in the HIT-T15 β-cell line. Downregulation of endogenous DLK increased whereas overexpression of DLK decreased human insulin gene transcription. 5'- and 3'-deletion human insulin promoter analyses resulted in the identification of a DLK responsive element that mapped to the DNA binding-site for the β-cell specific transcription factor MafA. Overexpression of DLK wild-type but not its kinase-dead mutant inhibited MafA transcriptional activity conferred by its transactivation domain. Furthermore, in the non-β-cell line JEG DLK inhibited MafA overexpression-induced human insulin promoter activity. Overexpression of MafA and DLK or its kinase-dead mutant into JEG cells revealed that DLK but not its mutant reduced MafA protein content. Inhibition of the down-stream DLK kinase c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) by SP600125 attenuated DLK-induced MafA loss. Furthermore, mutation of the serine 65 to alanine, shown to confer MafA protein stability, increased MafA-dependent insulin gene transcription and prevented DLK-induced MafA loss in JEG cells. These data suggest that DLK by activating JNK triggers the phosphorylation and degradation of MafA thereby attenuating insulin gene transcription. Given the importance of MafA for β-cell function, the inhibition of DLK might preserve β-cell function and ultimately retard the development of diabetes mellitus type 2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corinna Dickel
- Department of Pharmacology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sabine Schröder
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Diana Kaiser
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Roland Blume
- Department of Pharmacology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Roland Stein
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Celio Pouponnot
- Institut Curie, CNRS UMR 3347, INSERM U1021, Paris Sud University Centre de Recherche, Orsay, France
| | - Elke Oetjen
- Department of Pharmacology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Pharmacy, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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Abstract
The C-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) belongs to the evolutionarily conserved sub-group of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases family. Many studies have shown that JNK pathway plays physiological roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis, and its deregulation has been associated with developmental defects and various human diseases. Dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) is a member of the mixed-lineage kinases that performs important cellu-lar functions as a MAP triple kinase (MAPKKK) in regulating the JNK signaling pathway. In this paper, we described the DLK protein structures, physiological roles, and their functional interactions with JNK signaling, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying their involvement in various human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Jue Ma
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
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Larouche D, Cuffley K, Paquet C, Germain L. Tissue-engineered skin preserving the potential of epithelial cells to differentiate into hair after grafting. Tissue Eng Part A 2010; 17:819-30. [PMID: 20973750 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2010.0403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether tissue-engineered skin produced in vitro was able to sustain growth of hair follicles in vitro and after grafting. Different tissues were designed. Dissociated newborn mouse keratinocytes or newborn mouse hair buds (HBs) were added onto dermal constructs consisting of a tissue-engineered cell-derived matrix elaborated from either newborn mouse or adult human fibroblasts cultured with ascorbic acid. After 7-21 days of maturation at the air-liquid interface, no hair was noticed in vitro. Epidermal differentiation was observed in all tissue-engineered skin. However, human fibroblast-derived tissue-engineered dermis (hD) promoted a thicker epidermis than mouse fibroblast-derived tissue-engineered dermis (mD). In association with mD, HBs developed epithelial cyst-like inclusions presenting outer root sheath-like attributes. In contrast, epidermoid cyst-like inclusions lined by a stratified squamous epithelium were present in tissues composed of HBs and hD. After grafting, pilo-sebaceous units formed and hair grew in skin elaborated from HBs cultured 10-26 days submerged in culture medium in association with mD. However, the number of normal hair follicles decreased with longer culture time. This hair-forming capacity after grafting was not observed in tissues composed of hD overlaid with HBs. These results demonstrate that epithelial stem cells can be kept in vitro in a permissive tissue-engineered dermal environment without losing their potential to induce hair growth after grafting.
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Robitaille H, Simard-Bisson C, Larouche D, Tanguay RM, Blouin R, Germain L. The Small Heat-Shock Protein Hsp27 Undergoes ERK-Dependent Phosphorylation and Redistribution to the Cytoskeleton in Response to Dual Leucine Zipper-Bearing Kinase Expression. J Invest Dermatol 2010; 130:74-85. [DOI: 10.1038/jid.2009.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Trottier V, Marceau-Fortier G, Germain L, Vincent C, Fradette J. IFATS collection: Using human adipose-derived stem/stromal cells for the production of new skin substitutes. Stem Cells 2008; 26:2713-23. [PMID: 18617689 DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2008-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The ability to harvest and culture stem cell populations from various human postnatal tissues is central to regenerative medicine applications, including tissue engineering. The discovery of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells within the stromal fraction of adipose tissue prompted their use for the healing and reconstruction of many tissues. Here, we examined the influence of adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs) on skin's regenerative processes, from a tissue engineering perspective. Using a self-assembly approach, human skin substitutes were produced. They featured a stromal compartment containing human extracellular matrix endogenously produced from either dermal fibroblasts or adipose-derived stem/stromal cells differentiated or not toward the adipogenic lineage. Human keratinocytes were seeded on each stroma and cultured at the air-liquid interface to reconstruct a bilayered skin substitute. These new skin substitutes, containing an epidermis and a distinctive stroma devoid of synthetic biomaterial, displayed characteristics similar to human skin. The influence of the type of stromal compartment on epidermal morphogenesis was assessed by the evaluation of tissue histology, the expression of key protein markers of the epidermal differentiation program (keratin [K] 14, K10, transglutaminase), the expression of dermo-epidermal junction components (laminins, collagen VII), and the presence of basement membrane and hemidesmosomes. Our findings suggest that adipose-derived stem/stromal cells could usefully substitute dermal fibroblasts for skin reconstruction using the self-assembly method. Finally, by exploiting the adipogenic potential of ASCs, we also produced a more complete trilayered skin substitute consisting of the epidermis, the dermis, and the adipocyte-containing hypodermis, the skin's deepest layer. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Trottier
- Laboratoire d'Organogénèse Expérimentale, Centre Hospitalier Affilié Universitaire de Québec, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
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Robitaille H, Proulx R, Robitaille K, Blouin R, Germain L. The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase dual leucine zipper-bearing kinase (DLK) acts as a key regulator of keratinocyte terminal differentiation. J Biol Chem 2005; 280:12732-41. [PMID: 15695824 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m411619200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the skin, epithelial cells undergo a terminal differentiation program leading to the formation of the stratum corneum. Although it is expected that the last phases of this process must be tightly regulated since it results in cell death, the signaling pathways involved in this induction remain ill defined. We now report that a single kinase, the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase dual leucine zipper-bearing kinase (DLK), acts in the epidermis to promote the terminal differentiation of human keratinocytes. In support of this notion, we showed that DLK expression was restricted to the granular layer in situ. In addition, cultured keratinocytes infected with a recombinant adenovirus expressing DLK exhibited morphological and biochemical changes, including a suprabasal localization, altered cell shape, compacted cytoplasm, DNA fragmentation, and the up-regulation of filaggrin, that are reminiscent of a terminally differentiated phenotype. Moreover the expression of wild-type DLK in keratinocytes stimulated transglutaminase activity and the consequent formation of the cornified cell envelope, while a kinase-inactive variant of DLK did not. Together these results identify DLK as a signaling molecule implicated in the regulation of keratinocyte terminal differentiation and cornification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubert Robitaille
- Laboratoire de Recherche des Grand Brûlés/Laboratoire d'Orgnogénèse Experimentale, Centre Hospitalier Affilie Universitaire de Québec pavillon Saint-Sacrement, Québec, Québec G1S 4L8, Canada
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Cho YY, Bode AM, Mizuno H, Choi BY, Choi HS, Dong Z. A novel role for mixed-lineage kinase-like mitogen-activated protein triple kinase alpha in neoplastic cell transformation and tumor development. Cancer Res 2004; 64:3855-64. [PMID: 15172994 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-04-0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Previously, no member of the mixed-lineage kinase (MLK) protein family was known to function as an oncogene. Here, we demonstrate that MLK-like mitogen-activated protein triple kinase (MLTK)-alpha, a member of the MLK family, induced neoplastic cell transformation and tumorigenesis in athymic nude mice. Introduction of small interference RNA (siRNA)-MLTK-alpha into MLTK-alpha-overexpressing cells dramatically suppressed cell transformation. Nuclear accumulation of the pHisG-MLTK-alpha fusion protein was observed after epidermal growth factor or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment. Phosphorylation of downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase-targeted transcription factors including c-Myc, Elk-1, c-Jun, and activating transcription factor (ATF) 2 was also differentially enhanced in MLTK-alpha-overexpressing cells exposed to epidermal growth factor or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate stimulation compared with cells expressing mock vector or siRNA-MLTK-alpha. Very importantly, MLTK-alpha-overexpressing cells formed fibrosarcomas when injected s.c. into athymic nude mice, whereas almost no tumor formation was observed in mice that received injections of mock or siRNA-MLTK-alpha stably transfected cells. These results are the first to indicate that MLTK-alpha plays a key role in neoplastic cell transformation and cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Yeon Cho
- Hormel Institute University of Minnesota, Austin, Minnesota 55912, USA
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