Proteasome is the eukaryotic organelle responsible for degradation of short-lived proteins and involved in maintaining cellular protein homeostasis. It has been reported that during the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the regulatory particle subunits of proteasome regulate a series of tumor-related proteins, and proliferation, survival-associated signaling molecules, including PTEN gene, P53, Bcl-2, Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death (Bim), cyclin-dependent kinase 4(CDK4), transforming growth factor β receptor (TGFBR), E2F1, growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2) . Meanwhile, these subunits regulate some tumor-associated pathway protein, such as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and protein kinase B (AKT), inducing their malfunction to promote the occurrence, proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HCC. The core particle subunits are more to perform the degradation of HCC-related proteins, so inhibitors targeting the core particle show a good anti-tumor effect. This review summarizes the current research progress on the regulation and mechanism of proteasome subunits in promoting the occurrence and development .
Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Mechanism; Proteasome; Proteasome core particle; Proteasome regulatory particle; Review.