A long-range foresight for the medical application of apoptosis specifically induced by Dd-MRP4, Dictyostelium mitochondrial ribosomal protein S4, to cancer therapy.

Abstract

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is regarded as ultimate differentiation of the cell. We have recently demonstrated that a targeted delivery of Dd-MRP4 (Dictyostelium mitochondrial ribosomal protein S4) suppresses specifically the proliferation of the human cancer cells, by inducing their apoptotic cell death (Chida et al., 2014, doi:10.1186/1475-2867-14-56). This amazing fact was discovered, simply based on the finding that Dd-MRP4 expression is absolutely required for transition of Dictyostelium cells from growth to differentiation (Chida et al., 2008, doi:10.1186/1471-2156-9-25; Maeda et al., 2013, doi:10.3390/biom3040943). Dd-MRP4 protein has quite unique structural characters, in that it is highly basic (pI: about 11.5) and interestingly has several nuclear-localization signals within the molecule. In this review, we introduce briefly the efficacy of several apoptosis-inducing substances reported thus far for cancer therapy, and speculate the possible mechanisms, by which apoptosis is specifically induced by Dd-MRP4, on the basis of its structural uniqueness. We also discuss several issues to be solved for the medical application of ectopically expressed Dd-MRP4 in human cancer cells.

• Authors: Yasuo Maeda
• Journal: Biomolecules (Biomolecules) Vol. 5 Issue 1 Pg. 113-20 (Feb 10 2015) ISSN: 2218-273X [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 25675329 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Protozoan Proteins
• Ribosomal Proteins
• ribosomal protein S4

Topics

• Amino Acid Sequence
• Apoptosis
• Dictyostelium (cytology)
• Humans
• Mitochondria (metabolism)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Neoplasms (genetics, pathology, therapy)
• Protozoan Proteins (chemistry, genetics, metabolism)
• Ribosomal Proteins (chemistry, genetics, metabolism)