Shibo Ying

By Shibo Ying, Yanbin Wang and Lyuyang Lyu

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a rare, aggressive, and highly lethal cancer that is primary induced by exposure to asbestos fibers. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases that are involved in metastasis, and their overexpression correlates with tumor cell invasion and metastasis because they degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) and process adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins, growth factors, chemokines, and cytokines. Recent evidence has shown that MMPs participate in MM progression, indicating that they are potential novel biomarkers and attractive targets for cancer therapy. In this chapter, we will describe MMPs in carcinogenic mechanisms based on in vivo and in vitro experimental evidence, outline the clinical findings, and speculate the possible roles of MMPs in MM.

Part of the book: Asbestos-related Diseases

By Jin Zou, Wei Shen, Yu Zhang and Shibo Ying

Mammals can produce nine kinds of arginine methylation enzymes that can be divided into three types (I, II, and III) according to their catalytic activity. Arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1), as the first discovered arginine methyltransferase type I, has been reported to be involved in cell signal transduction, DNA damage repair, RNA transcription and other processes. Its imbalance or abnormal expression is also involved in cancer metastasis. PRMT1 is highly expressed in gastrointestinal tumors and promotes tumor biomarkers expression, chemotherapy resistance and tumorigenicity to promote cancer progression, while downregulation of PRMT1 expression can inhibit the migration and invasion of related tumor cells or promote tumor cells apoptosis and inhibit the progression of cancer. Therefore, PRMT1 may be a cancer therapeutic target. In this paper, arginine methylase 1 expression in various types of gastrointestinal tumors, the tumorigenic mechanism and the role of PRMT1 in tumorigenesis and development were reviewed.

Part of the book: Post-Translational Modifications in Cellular Functions and Diseases

By Yu Zhang, Wei Shen, Jin Zou and Shibo Ying

p300/CBP is involved in the expression of a wide range of genes, both as a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and as a coactivator of transcription factors. p300/CBP is the specific substrate of CARM1, and its KIX domain and GBD domain are the main sites methylated by arginine methyltransferase 4 (PRMT4/CARM1). p300/CBP plays an important role in lung cancer, which is a cell cycle disease. More importantly, the methylation of p300/CBP by CARM1 affects the progression of lung cancer through the cAMP-PKA pathway, p53 pathway and ER pathway. The structure, function, methylation modification sites, methylation-related enzymes, genes associated with lung cancer and the possible mechanisms of p300/CBP action are reviewed.

Part of the book: Post-Translational Modifications in Cellular Functions and Diseases