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Role of regucalcin in cell nuclear regulation: involvement as a transcription factor

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Abstract

Regucalcin (RGN/SMP30) was discovered in 1978 as a calcium (Ca2+)-binding protein that contains no EF-hand motif of the Ca2+-binding domain. The name of regucalcin was proposed for this Ca2+-binding protein, which can regulate various Ca2+-dependent enzyme activations in liver cells. The regucalcin gene is localized on the X chromosome. Regucalcin plays a multifunctional role in cell regulation through maintaining intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and suppressing signal transduction in various cell types. The cytoplasmic regucalcin is translocated into the nucleus and inhibits nuclear Ca2+-dependent and -independent protein kinases and protein phosphatases, Ca2+-activated deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation and DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis. Moreover, overexpression of endogenous regucalcin regulates the gene expression of various proteins that are related to cell proliferation and apoptosis. This review will discuss the role of regucalcin in the regulation of cell nuclear function and an involvement in gene expression as a novel transcription factor.

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Acknowledgements

Regucalcin studies of the author were supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) No.63571053, No.02671006, No.04671362, No.06672193, No.08672522, No.10672048, No.13672292 and No.17590063 from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture, Japan. The author was also awarded the Bounty of Encouragement Foundation in Pharmaceutical Research and the Bounty of the Yamanouchi Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders. This study was also supported by the Foundation for Biomedical Research on Regucalcin.

Author contribution and disclosures

Masayoshi Yamaguchi contributed to the design and conduct of the study, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and manuscript writing. The author has no conflicts of interest.

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  1. Department of Hematology and Biomedical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365 C Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Masayoshi Yamaguchi

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Correspondence to Masayoshi Yamaguchi.

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Yamaguchi, M. Role of regucalcin in cell nuclear regulation: involvement as a transcription factor. Cell Tissue Res 354, 331–341 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-013-1665-z

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