HJURP, short for Holliday Junction Recognition Protein, is a highly specialized mitogenic protein and a chaperone protein of histone H3. The HJURP gene is located on chromosome 2q37.1 and is involved in nucleosome composition in the mitotic region, forming a three-dimensional crystal structure with Centromere Protein A (CENP-A) and the histone 4 complex. It is associated with pathways like PRDX1/reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway and is important in processes such as cell proliferation, DNA repair, and centromere-kinetochore recruitment [2].

In prostate cancer cells, HJURP inhibits sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers by enhancing the peroxidase activity of PRDX1 through forming disulfide-linked intermediates with PRDX1 [1]. In hepatocellular carcinoma, HJURP promotes Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition via upregulating SPHK1, affecting cell migration and invasion [3]. In ovarian cancer, HJURP promotes tumor progression and chemoresistance, and its knockdown inhibits proliferation and metastasis [4]. In triple-negative breast cancer, HJURP regulates cell proliferation and chemo-resistance via the YAP1/NDRG1 transcriptional axis [5]. In glioma cells, HJURP is recruited to double-strand break (DSB) sites, facilitating DNA repair by promoting chromatin reorganization [6].

In conclusion, HJURP plays crucial roles in multiple biological processes and diseases, especially in cancer. Studies, although not specifically from KO/CKO mouse models in the provided references, have shown its involvement in cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, chemoresistance, and DNA repair. Understanding HJURP may provide new therapeutic targets for various cancers.

References:

1. Lai, Wenjie, Zhu, Weian, Wu, Jianjie, Qiu, Xiaofu, Wen, Xingqiao. 2024. HJURP inhibits sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers in prostate cancer cells by enhancing the peroxidase activity of PRDX1. In Redox biology, 77, 103392. doi:10.1016/j.redox.2024.103392. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39405980/

2. Li, Lin, Yuan, Qiang, Chu, Yue-Ming, Huo, Dan-Qun, Zhang, Xiao-Fen. 2023. Advances in holliday junction recognition protein (HJURP): Structure, molecular functions, and roles in cancer. In Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 11, 1106638. doi:10.3389/fcell.2023.1106638. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37025176/

3. Chen, Tianchi, Zhou, Lingfeng, Zhou, Yuan, Zhou, Lin, Zheng, Shusen. 2019. HJURP Promotes Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition via Upregulating SPHK1 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In International journal of biological sciences, 15, 1139-1147. doi:10.7150/ijbs.30904. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31223275/

4. Dou, Zhiyuan, Qiu, Chunping, Zhang, Xun, Song, Kun, Kong, Beihua. 2022. HJURP Promotes Malignant Progression and Mediates Sensitivity to Cisplatin and WEE1-inhibitor in Serous Ovarian Cancer. In International journal of biological sciences, 18, 1188-1210. doi:10.7150/ijbs.65589. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35173547/

5. Mao, Misha, Jia, Yunlu, Chen, Yongxia, Ju, Siwei, Wang, Linbo. 2022. HJURP regulates cell proliferation and chemo-resistance via YAP1/NDRG1 transcriptional axis in triple-negative breast cancer. In Cell death & disease, 13, 396. doi:10.1038/s41419-022-04833-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35459269/

6. Serafim, Rodolfo B, Cardoso, Cibele, Storti, Camila B, Price, Brendan D, Valente, Valeria. 2024. HJURP is recruited to double-strand break sites and facilitates DNA repair by promoting chromatin reorganization. In Oncogene, 43, 804-820. doi:10.1038/s41388-024-02937-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38279062/