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The PDZ protein discs‐large ( DLG ): the ‘ J ekyll and H yde’ of the epithelial polarity proteins
Author(s) -
Roberts Sally,
Delury Craig,
Marsh Elizabeth
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the febs journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.981
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1742-4658
pISSN - 1742-464X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2012.08729.x
Subject(s) - pdz domain , microbiology and biotechnology , cell polarity , context (archaeology) , scaffold protein , biology , suppressor , epithelial polarity , guanylate kinase , polarity (international relations) , cell , membrane protein , signal transduction , gene , biochemistry , membrane , paleontology
Discs‐large ( DLG ) is a multi‐ PDZ domain‐containing protein that belongs to the family of molecular scaffolding proteins known as membrane guanylate kinases or MAGUK s. DLG is a component of the Scribble polarity complex and genetic analyses of DLG in D rosophila have identified a role for the protein in several key biological processes including the regulation of apico‐basal polarity of epithelial cells, as well as other polarity processes such as asymmetric cell division and cell invasion. Disturbance of DLG function leads to uncontrolled epithelial cell proliferation and neoplastic transformation, thereby defining DLG as a potential tumour suppressor. However, whether mammalian homologues of DLG ( DLG 1, DLG 2, DLG 3 and DLG 4) also possess tumour suppressor functions is not known. In this minireview, we focus on the biological functions of DLG 1 in human epithelial cells and on how the function of this MAGUK relates to its intracellular location. We examine some of the evidence that implies that DLG has both tumour suppressor and, paradoxically, oncogenic functions depending upon the precise cellular context.