Musashi家族的研究进展

Advances in Musashi Family

Musashi家族作为RNA结合蛋白在无脊椎动物到脊椎动物进化过程中高度保守.哺乳动物Musashi家族成员包括Msi1和Msi2.Musashi家族主要表达在神经干/祖细胞,是神经细胞维持干性以及分化的标志基因.另外,Musashi在上皮干/祖细胞以及造血干细胞中也有表达.在此过程中,Musashi蛋白通过调节Notch,Wnt/β-catenin信号通路直接或间接地影响干细胞细胞增殖和细胞命运的决定等多个方面.广泛的研究发现Musashi成员在多种肿瘤细胞如神经胶质瘤、宫颈癌、食管癌、胃癌、结肠癌、乳腺癌中高水平或异常表达.Musashi家族有望成为某些癌症的特异性标志物和潜在的治疗靶标.尤其是Msi2在慢性和急性髓系白血病中高度表达使其成为一个临床预后标记基因.由此可见,Musashi的研究将为临床肿瘤疾病基因层面的诊断治疗提供新途径.本文主要针对Musashi的结构、功能及其在肿瘤发生发展中的研究进展进行综述.

The Musashi （Msi） family,as a kind of RNA binding proteins is highly conserved during evolution from invertebrates to vertebrates. The Musashi （Msi） family of mammals include two members：Msi1 and Msi2. The members of the Msi family are predominantly expressed in neural stem/ precursor cells,which act as mark-ers in the development and maintenance of neural cells state. In addition,Musashi members also express in epi-thelial stem/ precursor cells and hematopoietic stem cells. Musashi proteins,participating in Notch or Wnt/ β-catenin signaling pathway,directly or indirectly affect many aspects of stem cell proliferation and cell fate deci-sions. Msi genes,might function as regulators of cell state,are frequently overexpressed or abnormally expressed in multiple human cancers such as glioma,cervical cancer,esophageal cancer,stomach cancer,colon cancer, breast cancer. Thus Musashi family is expected to be a specific marker for certain cancers and potential thera-peutic target. Especially,Msi2 is highly expressed in chronic and acute human myeloid leukemia,suggesting its use as a new prognostic marker. Therefore,Musashi’s further research at gene level will provide new ways for clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancer disease. In this study,the structure and function of Musashi and the research progress of tumor mechanisms were summarized and reviewed.