Lung Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Lung Cancer, including details on symptoms, smoking, genetics, treatment, causes.

RASSF1A suppresses the c-Jun-NH2-kinase pathway and inhibits cell cycle progression.

Whang YM, Kim YH, Kim JS, Yoo YD

Department of Internal Medicine and Brain Korea 21 Project for Biomedical Science, Korea University Cancer Institute, Seoul, South Korea.

Some oncogenes, such as activated Ras, cause the malignant transformation of lung cells. c-Jun-NH2-kinase (JNK) activation is essential for the oncogenic function of these cells. In this study, we show that RASSF1A inhibits the growth of lung cancer cells by blocking the JNK pathway. The exogenous expression of RASSF1A suppressed JNK phosphorylation, and cells stably transfected with RASSF1A showed reduced JNK and c-Jun phosphorylation and Cyclin D1 down-regulation. An in vitro kinase assay showed that the exogenous expression of RASSF1A inhibited JNK activity and that JNK activity suppression due to ectopically expressed RASSF1A was revived by RASSF1A siRNA treatment. Based on our data, we suggest that RASSF1A exerts a tumor-suppressing effect by blocking oncogene-mediated JNK activation in lung cells.

Published 3 May 2005 in Cancer Res, 65(9): 3682-90.
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