Review
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. Feb 10, 2011; 2(2): 120-124
Published online Feb 10, 2011. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v2.i2.120
Oncogenic activity of MCM7 transforming cluster
Jian-Hua Luo
Jian-Hua Luo, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States
Author contributions: Luo JH solely contributed to this paper.
Supported by Grants from National Cancer Institute, No. RO1 CA098249 and No.R56 CA098249; Department of Defense, No. W81 XWH-09-1-0376
Correspondence to: Jian-Hua Luo, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Attending Pathologist, Director, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Scaife Hall S-760, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United States. luoj@msx.upmc.edu
Telephone: +1-412-6488791 Fax: +1-412-6485997
Received: July 9, 2010
Revised: September 22, 2010
Accepted: September 29, 2010
Published online: February 10, 2011
Abstract

The miniature chromosome maintenance (MCM) complex is a group of proteins that are essential for DNA replication licensing and control of cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase. Recent studies suggest that MCM7 is overexpressed and amplified in a variety of human malignancies. MCM7 genome sequence contains a cluster of miRNA that has been shown to downregulate expression of several tumor suppressors including p21, E2F1, BIM and pTEN. The oncogenic potential of MCM7 and its embedded miRNA has been demonstrated vigorously in in vitro experiments and in animal models, and they appear to cooperate in initiation of cancer. MCM7 protein also serves as a critical target for oncogenic signaling pathways such as androgen receptor signaling, or tumor suppressor pathways such as integrin α7 or retinoblastoma signaling. This review analyzes the transforming activity and signaling of MCM7, oncogenic function of miRNA cluster that is embedded in the MCM7 genome, and the potential of gene therapy that targets MCM7.

Keywords: Miniature chromosome maintenance 7; Oncogene; miRNA; DNA replication; pTEN; p21; Integrin