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PTEN

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Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in Cancer

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Abstract

The PTEN tumor suppressor gene is among the most frequently targeted genes in cancer. It inhibits cellular growth, proliferation, and survival functions and is essential for epithelial cell polarity and migration. Mechanistically, PTEN achieves these various functions by antagonizing PI-3 kinase-mediated production of the PIP3 lipid second messenger which in turn leads to differential recruitment of key signaling molecules to the plasma membrane, and to inactivation of the protein kinase AKT.

Modeling of Pten deficiency in mice has firmly established that losing only one copy of the gene is sufficient for the process of tumor initiation, while losing both copies triggers cellular senescence. These two features control tumorigenesis in several tissues, which highlights the critical role of PTEN-regulatory mechanisms, especially at the transcriptional and posttranslational levels.

Understanding and interfering with these processes will therefore greatly impact our success in cancer treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cancer Center, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA

    Dawid G. Nowak & Lloyd C. Trotman

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  1. Dawid G. Nowak
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  2. Lloyd C. Trotman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NY, New York, USA

    Benjamin G. Neel

  2. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA

    Nicholas K. Tonks

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Nowak, D.G., Trotman, L.C. (2016). PTEN. In: Neel, B., Tonks, N. (eds) Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in Cancer. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3649-6_8

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