5. BNIP3 in autophagy, cell death and tumorigenesis.

BNIP3 regulates autophagy and non-apoptotic cell death in response to hypoxia, and is up-regulated at the ischemic core of tumors. We have shown that BNIP3 expression and activity is regulated by pRB. By regulating authophagy and the type of cell death taking place in tumors, we suspect that functional BNIP3 prevents tumor progression. Current work in the Macleod lab is exploiting mouse models of cancer to test whether BNIP3 may be used as a marker of tumor progression, or indeed whether BNIP3 functions as a tumor suppressor.

 

References

Kristin Tracy, Benjamin C. Dibling, Benjamin T. Spike, James Knabb, Paul Schumacker & Macleod KF: BNIP3 is an RB/E2F target gene required for hypoxia-induced autophagy. Mol. Cell Biol. 27, 6229-42 (2007).

Kristin Tracy & Kay F. Macleod: Regulation of mitochondrial integrity, autophagy and cell survival by BNIP3. In press at Autophagy 3 (6), (2007).