RUNX Proteins as Epigenetic Modulators in Cancer

Hongyang Yi; Yuhao He; Qionghua Zhu; Liang Fang

doi:10.3390/cells11223687

RUNX Proteins as Epigenetic Modulators in Cancer

Cells. 2022 Nov 20;11(22):3687. doi: 10.3390/cells11223687.

Authors

Hongyang Yi^{1

2

3}, Yuhao He^{1

2}, Qionghua Zhu^{1

2}, Liang Fang^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
² Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
³ National Clinical Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, China.
⁴ Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518005, China.

Abstract

RUNX proteins are highly conserved in metazoans and perform critical functions during development. Dysregulation of RUNX proteins through various molecular mechanisms facilitates the development and progression of various cancers, where different RUNX proteins show tumor type-specific functions and regulate different aspects of tumorigenesis by cross-talking with different signaling pathways such as Wnt, TGF-β, and Hippo. Molecularly, they could serve as transcription factors (TFs) to activate their direct target genes or interact with many other TFs to modulate chromatin architecture globally. Here, we review the current knowledge on the functions and regulations of RUNX proteins in different cancer types and highlight their potential role as epigenetic modulators in cancer.

Keywords: RUNX family; cancer; epigenetic modulator; function; regulation.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Core Binding Factor alpha Subunits* / genetics
Core Binding Factor alpha Subunits* / metabolism
Epigenesis, Genetic
Epigenomics
Humans
Neoplasms* / metabolism
Transcription Factors / genetics
Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

Core Binding Factor alpha Subunits
Transcription Factors

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology (Grant No. ZDSYS20200811144002008), Shenzhen Science and Technology Program (Grant No. KQTD20180411143432337 and JCYJ20190809154407564).