Identification of Pygopus 2 as a Component of the Ribosomal RNA Transcription Complex in Cancer

    January 2008 in “ Memorial University Research Repository (Memorial University) ”
    Zhijian He
    TLDR Pygopus 2 helps ovarian cancer cells grow by aiding ribosomal RNA production, independent of Wnt signaling.
    The study identified that the N-terminal Homology Domain (NHD) of human Pygopus 2 (hPygo2) was essential for Wnt-independent proliferation of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer cells, specifically in the SKOV-3 cell line. Mutations in this domain prevented cell growth, while mutations in the Wnt-mediating Plant Homeodomain (PHD) did not. Proteomic analysis revealed that hPygo2 interacted with several proteins, notably Treacle, which was confirmed to colocalize with hPygo2 in the nucleoli of cancer cells. This interaction suggested that hPygo2 played a role in ribosomal biogenesis, independent of Wnt signaling, by being involved in the transcription or early modification of premature ribosomal RNAs.
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