Bioengineering

Biography

Biography: Zodwa Dlamini

Abstract

RBBP6 is an alternately spliced gene that gives rise to three unique splice variants with diverse biological functions. Its gene products have been demonstrated to play a role in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and protein processing. RBBP6 homologues have been shown to be negative regulators of the guardian of cells, p53, linking it to tumourigenesis. We have shown that it is involved in lung carcinogenesis. We have also shown that RBBP6 isoform 3 is a regulator of G2/M cell cycle arrest. We aimed to explore the function of RBBP6 isoform 3 and its expression pattern in carcinogenesis. Cell cycle arresting agents, such as arsenic trioxide and cisplatin were used to arrest colon and cervical cells to study the role of the smallest RBBP6 isoform. The expression and cell distribution of RBBP6 were analysed using real-time PCR and western blotting and cell analysis flow cytometry, respectively. We used immunohistochemistry to establish the expression patterns of RBBP6 in colon and cervical cancer tissues. RBBP6 isoform 3 causes cell cycle arrest at G2/M and its diminished expression results in cell cycle progression. We have also shown that RBBP6 isoform 3 plays a role in cell cycle regulation and carcinogenesis in cervical and colon tissues. These studies have shown that RBBP6 isoform 3 has great potential as a therapeutic target for drug development.