RIOK1 synergizes with TRIP13 by regulating the E2F–Rb signaling pathway to promote the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells

Oesophageal carcinoma affects more than 450,000 people worldwide and the incidence is rapidly increasing. Squamous-cell carcinoma is the predominant form of oesophageal carcinoma worldwide, but a shift in epidemiology has been seen in Australia, the UK, the USA, and some western European countries (eg, Finland, France, and the Netherlands), where the incidence of adenocarcinoma now exceeds that of squamous-cell types. The overall 5-year survival of patients with oesophageal carcinoma ranges from 15% to 25%. Diagnoses made at earlier stages are associated with better outcomes than those made at later stages. In this Seminar we discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and staging, management, prevention, and advances in the treatment of oesophageal carcinoma. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer is the leading death cause in urban China and the second one in rural China. Lung cancer is the most common cancer, followed by stomach cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer. Cancer Control Programs in China focus on prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. The prevention program includes an anti-smoking campaign and immunization against hepatitis B for infants and children under the age of 15. Screening for breast and cervix cancers is among efforts for the early detection and treatment. Public education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles have been actively carried out.

During meiotic and mitotic cell divisions, numerous chromosomal processes are essential for the faithful transmission of the genetic material. Pch2(TRIP13), a generally conserved member of the AAA(+) ATPase (AAA(+)--ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) family of ATPases, is rapidly emerging as a key regulator of specific chromosomal events. During the meiotic program, it is involved in controlling G2/prophase processes such as DNA break formation and recombination, checkpoint signaling, and chromosome synapsis. Excitingly, recent work has also implicated a role for Pch2(TRIP13) in wiring of the checkpoint that guards the metaphase-to-anaphase transition. For several of these functions, the Hop1, Rev7, and Mad2 (HORMA) domain-containing proteins Hop1(HORMAD), Mad2, and p31(COMET) are important downstream clients or cofactors of Pch2(TRIP13). Here, I will discuss our current understanding of the function of Pch2(TRIP13) during meiotic and mitotic cell divisions, with a focus on its enzymatic role towards HORMA domain-containing clients.