Fol. Biol. 2023, 69, 149-162
Autotaxin and Lysophosphatidic Acid Signalling: the Pleiotropic Regulatory Network in Cancer
Autotaxin, also known as ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 2, is a secreted glycoprotein that plays multiple roles in human physiology and cancer pathology. This protein, by converting lysophosphatidylcholine into lysophosphatidic acid, initiates a complex signalling cascade with significant biological implications. The article outlines the autotaxin gene and protein structure, expression regulation and physiological functions, but focuses mainly on the role of autotaxin in cancer development and progression. Autotaxin and lysophosphatidic acid signalling influence several aspects of cancer, including cell proliferation, migration, metastasis, therapy resistance, and interactions with the immune system. The potential of autotaxin as a diagnostic biomarker and promising drug target is also examined.
Keywords
autotaxin, ENPP2, lysophosphatidic acid, LPA, signal transduction, cancer.
Funding
This study was supported by the Czech Agency for Healthcare Research (NU23-01-00323), by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic via Charles University (UNCE/ MED/016 and the Cooperatio programme, research area BIOLOGY), and by the National Institute for Cancer Research (Reg. No. LX22NPO5102) funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU, Programme EXCELES.
References
Copyright
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
