Short report

FAT10, a gene up-regulated in various cancers, is cell-cycle regulated

Chuan-Bian Lim¹, Dongwei Zhang² and Caroline GL Lee^1,2*

• * Corresponding author: Caroline GL Lee bchleec@nus.edu.sg

Author Affiliations

¹ Division of Medical Sciences, National Cancer Center, Singapore

² Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore

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Cell Division 2006, 1:20 doi:10.1186/1747-1028-1-20

Published: 8 September 2006

Abstract

Background

FAT10 is a member of the ubiquitin-like-modifier family of proteins. Over-expression of the FAT10 gene was observed in the tumors of several epithelial cancers. High FAT10 expression was found to lead to increased chromosome instability via the reduction in the kinetochore localization of MAD2 during the prometaphase stage of the cell-cycle. FAT10 expression was also previously reported to be regulated by cytokines and p53.

Results

Here, we report that FAT10 expression is regulated at the protein and transcript level during cell-cycle with highest expression observed during the S-phase of the cell-cycle. The distal region between -1997 to -975 bp from the transcription start site of the FAT10 promoter may play a role in the repression of FAT10 expression during G2/M phase of the cell-cycle.

Conclusion

FAT10 expression is regulated during cell-cycle.