Changing venues for tumour suppression: balancing destruction and localization by monoubiquitylation

Abstract

Three major tumour-suppressor proteins have recently been shown to undergo monoubiquitylation-mediated nuclear–cytoplasmic shuttling. Can our increasing knowledge of this mechanism be used to treat cancer? Recent studies have shown that three major tumour-suppressor proteins undergo monoubiquitylation-mediated nuclear–cytoplasmic shuttling. Importantly, this mechanism has consequences for cancer and implies that proper localization is central to the function of tumour suppressors. This Progress article highlights recent efforts demonstrating that monoubiquitylation coupled to nuclear–cytoplasmic shuttling might be a novel regulatory mechanism that directly influences the function of tumour suppressors.