Published online May 26, 2014. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v5.i2.231
Revised: January 7, 2014
Accepted: January 17, 2014
Published online: May 26, 2014
Processing time: 213 Days and 0.3 Hours
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a member of the STAT family, is a key regulator of many physiological and pathological processes. Significant progress has been made in understanding the transcriptional control, posttranslational modification, cellular localization and functional regulation of STAT3. STAT3 can translocate into the nucleus and bind to specific promoter sequences, thereby exerting transcriptional regulation. Recent studies have shown that STAT3 can also translocate into mitochondria, participating in aerobic respiration and apoptosis. In addition, STAT3 plays an important role in inflammation and tumorigenesis by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and metabolism. Conditional knockout mouse models make it possible to study the physiological function of STAT3 in specific tissues and organs. This review summarizes the latest advances in the understanding of the expression, regulation and function of STAT3 in physiological and tumorigenic processes.
Core tip: The differential subcellular localization of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 makes it play distinct functions in transcriptional regulation, cell proliferation and cellular respiration, thus contributing to development, reproduction and tumorigenesis in physiological and pathological conditions.