Survivin, also called baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 or BIRC5, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the BIRC5 gene.[5]
Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family. The survivin protein functions to inhibit caspase activation, thereby leading to negative regulation of apoptosis or programmed cell death.[6] This has been shown by disruption of survivin induction pathways leading to increase in apoptosis and decrease in tumour growth. The survivin protein is expressed highly in most human tumours and fetal tissue, but is completely absent in terminally differentiated cells.[7]
Structure
Survivin is distinguished from other IAP family members in that it has only one baculoviral IAP repeat (BIR) domain. The protein is 16.5 kDa large and is the smallest member of the IAP family.[8]
Function
Survivin is expressed in a cell cycle-dependent manner, with highest levels in the G2/M phase. It localizes to the mitotic spindle during cell division and interacts with tubulin.[9][10] Survivin plays important roles in regulating mitosis, inhibiting apoptosis, and promoting angiogenesis.[10][11]
Role in cancer
Survivin is highly expressed in most human cancers but is rarely detectable in normal adult tissues.[7] Its overexpression in tumors correlates with increased drug resistance, reduced apoptosis, and poor patient prognosis. The aberrant regulation of survivin in cancer cells makes it an attractive target for cancer therapy.[12]
Several approaches targeting survivin are being investigated as potential cancer treatments, including:
Antisense oligonucleotides to inhibit survivin expression
Small molecule inhibitors of survivin function
Immunotherapy approaches using survivin as a tumor-associated antigen
Combination therapies to sensitize cancer cells to apoptosis by inhibiting survivin
1 2 3 Tamm I, Wang Y, Sausville E, Scudiero DA, Vigna N, Oltersdorf T, etal. (December 1998). "IAP-family protein survivin inhibits caspase activity and apoptosis induced by Fas (CD95), Bax, caspases, and anticancer drugs". Cancer Research. 58 (23): 5315–5320. PMID9850056.
1 2 Ambrosini G, Adida C, Altieri DC (August 1997). "A novel anti-apoptosis gene, survivin, expressed in cancer and lymphoma". Nature Medicine. 3 (8): 917–921. doi:10.1038/nm0897-917. PMID9256286.
↑ Chantalat L, Skoufias DA, Kleman JP, Jung B, Dideberg O, Margolis RL (July 2000). "Crystal structure of human survivin reveals a bow tie-shaped dimer with two unusual alpha-helical extensions". Molecular Cell. 6 (1): 183–189. doi:10.1016/s1097-2765(05)00020-1. PMID10949039.
↑ Li F, Ambrosini G, Chu EY, Plescia J, Tognin S, Marchisio PC, etal. (December 1998). "Control of apoptosis and mitotic spindle checkpoint by survivin". Nature. 396 (6711): 580–584. doi:10.1038/25141. PMID9859993.
1 2 Mita AC, Mita MM, Nawrocki ST, Giles FJ (August 2008). "Survivin: key regulator of mitosis and apoptosis and novel target for cancer therapeutics". Clinical Cancer Research. 14 (16): 5000–5005. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-0746. PMID18698017.
↑ Giodini A, Kallio MJ, Wall NR, Gorbsky GJ, Tognin S, Marchisio PC, etal. (May 2002). "Regulation of microtubule stability and mitotic progression by survivin". Cancer Research. 62 (9): 2462–2467. PMID11980633.
↑ Altieri DC (November 2003). "Survivin, versatile modulation of cell division and apoptosis in cancer". Oncogene. 22 (53): 8581–8589. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1207113. PMID14634620.
↑ Wheatley SP, Carvalho A, Vagnarelli P, Earnshaw WC (June 2001). "INCENP is required for proper targeting of Survivin to the centromeres and the anaphase spindle during mitosis". Current Biology. 11 (11): 886–890. doi:10.1016/s0960-9822(01)00238-x. PMID11516652.
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