Asf1b, the Anti-silencing Function of 1B histone chaperone, is crucial for S-phase progression and cell proliferation [7,9]. It was originally discovered in yeast as a histone H3-H4 chaperone. As a histone chaperone, it is involved in nucleosome assembly during DNA replication, thus participating in pathways related to the cell cycle, DNA repair, and chromatin regulation [5,8,9]. Its normal function is essential for maintaining proper cell growth and division, and understanding its role is important for exploring cell biological processes and disease mechanisms.

In multiple cancer types, Asf1b has been found to play significant roles. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it is highly expressed, and its high expression is associated with tumor grade, race, disease stage, and poor overall and progression-free survival. Knockdown of Asf1b inhibits HCC cell proliferation, induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, suggesting it promotes HCC development [2,7,9]. In stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), Asf1b is also upregulated, and high expression indicates poor survival. Functional enrichment analysis shows its related genes are enriched in the cell cycle and DNA repair pathways [1]. In cervical cancer, Asf1b functions as an oncogene, and its silence suppresses cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo [3]. In gliomas, increased Asf1b expression is linked to poor prognosis, and it is associated with nuclear division, cell cycle, and related checkpoints [4]. In gastric cancer, Asf1b is upregulated, correlates with TNM stage, histological grade and poor prognosis, and promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion [5,8]. In lung adenocarcinoma, knocking down Asf1b impairs cell proliferation, affects cell cycle distribution and induces apoptosis [6].

In conclusion, Asf1b is a key histone chaperone involved in cell cycle-related processes. Its overexpression in various cancers such as HCC, STAD, cervical cancer, gliomas, gastric cancer, and lung adenocarcinoma promotes tumor progression, as revealed by knockdown experiments. Understanding the role of Asf1b through such functional studies provides insights into cancer development mechanisms, suggesting it could be a potential therapeutic target for these cancers.

References:

1. Zhao, Cailing, Zhou, Jianghao, Xing, Jianwei, Yin, Qiushi. . ASF1B acted as a prognostic biomarker for stomach adenocarcinoma. In Medicine, 102, e35408. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000035408. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38050219/

2. Li, Renzhi, Cui, Xiaohan, Sun, Weijun, Shen, Xingyuan, Zhu, Chunfu. . ASF1B, as an Independent Prognostic Biomarker, Correlates with Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening, 26, 1311-1323. doi:10.2174/1386207325666220820112111. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35993469/

3. Liu, Xinjian, Song, Jingwei, Zhang, Yenan, Tang, Qi, Ji, Minjun. 2020. ASF1B promotes cervical cancer progression through stabilization of CDK9. In Cell death & disease, 11, 705. doi:10.1038/s41419-020-02872-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32848135/

4. Zhu, Huaxin, Ouyang, Hengyang, Pan, Xinyi, Li, Meihua, Zhao, Yeyu. 2022. Increased ASF1B Expression Correlates With Poor Prognosis in Patients With Gliomas. In Frontiers in oncology, 12, 912101. doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.912101. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35875094/

5. Zhao, Zhou, Cai, Zhaolun, Zhang, Su, Han, Junhong, Zhang, Bo. 2024. Activation of the FOXM1/ASF1B/PRDX3 axis confers hyperproliferative and antioxidative stress reactivity to gastric cancer. In Cancer letters, 589, 216796. doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216796. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38537775/

6. Zhang, Wencheng, Gao, Zhouyong, Guan, Mingxiu, Meng, Fanjie, Wang, Guangshun. 2021. ASF1B Promotes Oncogenesis in Lung Adenocarcinoma and Other Cancer Types. In Frontiers in oncology, 11, 731547. doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.731547. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34568067/

7. Zhang, Shirong, Xu, Longwen, Feng, Jinteng, Jiao, Min, Guo, Hui. 2022. ASF1B is a Promising Prognostic Biomarker and Correlates With Immunotherapy Efficacy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In Frontiers in genetics, 13, 842351. doi:10.3389/fgene.2022.842351. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35360875/

8. Chen, Chuanzhi, Bao, Haili, Lin, Wu, Lv, Xiadong, Teng, Lisong. 2022. ASF1b is a novel prognostic predictor associated with cell cycle signaling pathway in gastric cancer. In Journal of Cancer, 13, 1985-2000. doi:10.7150/jca.69544. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35399734/

9. Ouyang, Xiaoxi, Lv, Longxian, Zhao, Yalei, Zhu, Danhua, Li, Lanjuan. 2022. ASF1B Serves as a Potential Therapeutic Target by Influencing Cell Cycle and Proliferation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In Frontiers in oncology, 11, 801506. doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.801506. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35087760/