The role of ALDH2 in tumorigenesis and tumor progression: Targeting ALDH2 as a potential cancer treatment

A major mitochondrial enzyme for protecting cells from acetaldehyde toxicity is aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). The correlation between ALDH2 dysfunction and tumorigenesis/growth/metastasis has been widely reported. Either low or high ALDH2 expression contributes to tumor progression and varies among different tumor types. Furthermore, the ALDH2∗2 polymorphism (rs671) is the most common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in Asia. Epidemiological studies associate ALDH2∗2 with tumorigenesis and progression. This study summarizes the essential functions and potential ALDH2 mechanisms in the occurrence, progression, and treatment of tumors in various types of cancer. Our study indicates that ALDH2 is a potential therapeutic target for cancer therapy.

Regulation of DNA repair by non-coding miRNAs

DNA repair is an important signaling mechanism that is necessary to maintain genomic stability. Various types of DNA repair proteins are involved in the repair of different types of DNA damage. However, most of the DNA repair proteins are modified post-translation in order to activate their repair function, such as, ubiquitination, phosphorylation, acetylation, etc. Similarly, DNA repair proteins are also regulated by posttranscriptional modifications. Non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) induced posttranscriptional regulation of mRNAs has gained attention in recent years. MiRNA-induced regulation of DNA repair proteins is of great interest, owing to its potential role in cancer therapy. In this review, we have summarized the role of different miRNAs in the regulation of various types of DNA repair proteins, which are essential for the maintenance of genomic stability.

The Fanconi anemia ID2 complex: dueling saxes at the crossroads

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare recessive genetic disease characterized by congenital abnormalities, bone marrow failure and heightened cancer susceptibility in early adulthood. FA is caused by biallelic germ-line mutation of any one of 16 genes. While several functions for the FA proteins have been ascribed, the prevailing hypothesis is that the FA proteins function cooperatively in the FA-BRCA pathway to repair damaged DNA. A pivotal step in the activation of the FA-BRCA pathway is the monoubiquitination of the FANCD2 and FANCI proteins. Despite their importance for DNA repair, the domain structure, regulation, and function of FANCD2 and FANCI remain poorly understood. In this review, we provide an overview of our current understanding of FANCD2 and FANCI, with an emphasis on their posttranslational modification and common and unique functions.