Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) is a member of the GTP-binding translation elongation factor family that is essential for protein synthesis. eEF2 kinase (eEF2K) is a structurally and functionally unique protein kinase in the calmodulin-mediated signaling pathway. eEF2K phosphorylates eEF2, thereby inhibiting eEF2 function under stressful conditions. eEF2K regulates numerous processes, such as protein synthesis, cell cycle progression, and induction of autophagy and apoptosis in cancer cells. This review will demonstrate the mechanisms underlying eEF2K activity in cancer cells under different stresses, such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and DNA damage via eEF2 regulation. In vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies indicated that eEF2K may be a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81272504), Research and Innovation Project for College Graduates of Jiangsu Province (No.CXZZ12_0588), Innovation Team (No. LJ201123 (EH11)), A Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD) (JX10231801), grants from Key Academic Discipline of Jiangsu Province “Medical Aspects of Specific Environments,” and Six Major Talent Peak Project of Jiangsu Province (2013-WSN-040).
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Hongcheng Zhu, ** Yang, and Jia Liu equally contributed to this work.
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Zhu, H., Yang, X., Liu, J. et al. Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase confers tolerance to stress conditions in cancer cells. Cell Stress and Chaperones 20, 217–220 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-014-0545-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-014-0545-0