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The Schlafen family: complex roles in different cell types and virus replication
Author(s) -
Liu Furao,
Zhou Pingting,
Wang Qian,
Zhang Meichao,
Li Dong
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
cell biology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1095-8355
pISSN - 1065-6995
DOI - 10.1002/cbin.10778
Subject(s) - biology , immune system , replication (statistics) , gene , computational biology , immunology , genetics , virology
The Schlafen (slfn) gene family members express broadly, but the research has mainly focused on human slfn (h‐slfn) and mouse slfn (m‐slfn). The slfn members can be divided into three groups, and each group has its own characteristics and functions. Although the effects of slfns are still poorly understood, it has been confirmed that slfns are involved in the defense of immune system and regulate immune cells’ proliferation and differentiation. In some malignant tumors, the slfn proteins can inhibit the growth and invasion of cancer cells, promote cancer cells sensibility to chemotherapeutics, and can be a promising new therapeutic target. In addition, the slfn proteins also disturb replication and virulence of viruses. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of the Schlafen family's structures and functions with the aim to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of slfns.