AUTHOR=Zhao Yuan , Geng Huiwu , Liu Gang , Ji Qiang , Cheng Xiaomin , Li Xinying , Liu Wei , Thorne Rick F. , Zhang Renquan , Liu Xiaoying TITLE=The Deubiquitinase USP39 Promotes ESCC Tumorigenesis Through Pre-mRNA Splicing of the mTORC2 Component Rictor JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2021.667495 DOI=10.3389/fonc.2021.667495 ISSN=2234-943X ABSTRACT=
Spliceosomes are large RNA-protein molecular complexes which mediate splicing of pre-mRNA in eukaryotic cells. Their function is frequently altered in cancer, providing opportunities for novel therapeutic approaches. The ubiquitin specific protease 39 (USP39) is a highly conserved deubiquitylation family member that plays an essential role in pre-mRNA splicing where it serves to assemble the mature spliceosome complex. Previous studies have reported that USP39 acts in an oncogenic manner where it contributes to cancer progression and predicts poor prognosis in various human tumor types. Here we report that USP39 is differentially upregulated in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its expression is significantly associated with clinicopathological characteristics including differentiation status and TNM stage. We found the USP39 upregulation was maintained in ESCC cell lines where it functioned to promote cancer cell growth