Am J Cancer Res 2012;2(4):397-413
Review Article
When autophagy meets cancer through p62/SQSTM1
Alexandre Puissant*, Nina Fenouille*, Patrick Auberger
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Pediatric-Oncology department, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA; INSERM U1065, Team Cell Death,
Differentiation Inflammation and Cancer, Nice, France; Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer (2011-2013);
University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Nice, France. *These authors contributed equally to this work
Received May 29, 2012; accepted June 14, 2012; Epub June 28, 2012; Published July 15, 2012
Abstract: Although p62/SQSTM1 was initially identified as an essential mediator of NFκB signaling, several recent studies have
also highlighted its important role at the crossroad between the mTOR or MAPK signaling pathways and selective autophagy.
The p62 structure containing important interaction domains attests to the ability of this protein to regulate and modulate the
activation of these signaling pathways during tumor formation and propagation. The second very important function of this
protein is to act as a molecular adaptor between the autophagic machinery and its substrates. Consequently, p62 is degraded
following an increase in autophagic flux for which this protein currently serves as an indicator. However, the measurement of p62
expression strictly as a marker of autophagic flux is still controversial and can be misinterpreted mainly because this protein is
subject to complex regulation at both the transcriptional and post-translational levels. Finally, because p62 is an autophagic
substrate, it acts as a molecular link between cancer and autophagy by conferring a high level of selectivity through the
degradation of important signaling molecules. (AJCR0000126)
Keywords: Paget’s disease, mTOR, NFκB, NRF2, MAPK, Atg, ROS, ubiquitin, protein aggregates, oxidative stress
Address all correspondence to:
Dr. Patrick Auberger
DR1 INSERM, Directeur INSERM U1065
Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire
Bâtiment ARCHIMED, 151 Route de Saint-Antoine de Ginestière
BP 2 3194, 06204 Nice Cedex 3.
Tel: 00 33 4 89 06 43 11; Fax: 00 33 4 89 06 42 21
E-mail : auberger@unice.fr
Review Article
When autophagy meets cancer through p62/SQSTM1
Alexandre Puissant*, Nina Fenouille*, Patrick Auberger
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Pediatric-Oncology department, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA; INSERM U1065, Team Cell Death,
Differentiation Inflammation and Cancer, Nice, France; Equipe labellisée par la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer (2011-2013);
University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Nice, France. *These authors contributed equally to this work
Received May 29, 2012; accepted June 14, 2012; Epub June 28, 2012; Published July 15, 2012
Abstract: Although p62/SQSTM1 was initially identified as an essential mediator of NFκB signaling, several recent studies have
also highlighted its important role at the crossroad between the mTOR or MAPK signaling pathways and selective autophagy.
The p62 structure containing important interaction domains attests to the ability of this protein to regulate and modulate the
activation of these signaling pathways during tumor formation and propagation. The second very important function of this
protein is to act as a molecular adaptor between the autophagic machinery and its substrates. Consequently, p62 is degraded
following an increase in autophagic flux for which this protein currently serves as an indicator. However, the measurement of p62
expression strictly as a marker of autophagic flux is still controversial and can be misinterpreted mainly because this protein is
subject to complex regulation at both the transcriptional and post-translational levels. Finally, because p62 is an autophagic
substrate, it acts as a molecular link between cancer and autophagy by conferring a high level of selectivity through the
degradation of important signaling molecules. (AJCR0000126)
Keywords: Paget’s disease, mTOR, NFκB, NRF2, MAPK, Atg, ROS, ubiquitin, protein aggregates, oxidative stress
Address all correspondence to:
Dr. Patrick Auberger
DR1 INSERM, Directeur INSERM U1065
Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire
Bâtiment ARCHIMED, 151 Route de Saint-Antoine de Ginestière
BP 2 3194, 06204 Nice Cedex 3.
Tel: 00 33 4 89 06 43 11; Fax: 00 33 4 89 06 42 21
E-mail : auberger@unice.fr
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American Journal of Cancer Research
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