Increased levels of a unique post-translationally modified betaIVb-tubulin isotype in liver cancer.

ABSTRACT: Identifying changes at the molecular level during the development of hepatocellular carcinoma is important for the detection and treatment of the disease. The characteristic structural reorganization of preneoplastic cells may involve changes in the microtubule cytoskeleton. Microtubules are dynamic protein polymers that play an essential role in cell division, maintenance of cell shape, vesicle transport, and motility. They are comprised of multiple isotypes of alpha- and beta-tubulin. Changes in the levels of these isotypes may affect not only microtubule stability and sensitivity to drugs but also interactions with endogenous proteins. We employed a rat liver cancer model that progresses through stages similar to those of human liver cancer, including metastasis to the lung, to identify

SUBMITTER: Miller LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2574767 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature