Dynlrb2, also known as dynein light chain roadblock-type-2, is a subunit of the cytoplasmic dynein complex. Cytoplasmic dynein is involved in retrograde transport along microtubules in cells, and Dynlrb2 plays essential roles in multiple biological processes. It is associated with pathways related to viral infection, cell division, and cholesterol homeostasis [1,2,3]. Genetic models, such as gene knockout mouse models, are valuable for studying Dynlrb2's functions.

In Dynlrb2 knockout (KO) mouse testes, meiosis progression is arrested in metaphase I due to the formation of multipolar spindles with fragmented pericentriolar material (PCM), revealing its importance in male meiosis spindle formation [2]. Regarding viral infection, knockdown of Dynlrb2 significantly decreases murine leukemia virus (MLV) infection, while its overexpression increases infection, indicating its essential role in MLV retrograde transport and nuclear entry [1,4]. In lung adenocarcinoma, in vitro experiments showed that overexpressing Dynlrb2 inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis, suggesting it might be a potential tumor suppressor gene [3].

In summary, Dynlrb2 is crucial for male meiosis spindle formation, MLV infection, and may have a tumor-suppressing role in lung adenocarcinoma. The study of Dynlrb2 using KO mouse models has provided insights into these biological processes and disease areas, helping us better understand its functions and potential implications in health and disease.

References:

1. Pietrantoni, Gianfranco, Gaete-Argel, Aracelly, Herrera-Rojo, Diego, Valiente-Echeverría, Fernando, Arriagada, Gloria. 2021. Dynein Light-Chain Dynlrb2 Is Essential for Murine Leukemia Virus Traffic and Nuclear Entry. In Journal of virology, 95, e0017021. doi:10.1128/JVI.00170-21. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33980598/

2. He, Shuwen, Gillies, John P, Zang, Juliana L, DeSantis, Morgan E, Shibuya, Hiroki. 2023. Distinct dynein complexes defined by DYNLRB1 and DYNLRB2 regulate mitotic and male meiotic spindle bipolarity. In Nature communications, 14, 1715. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-37370-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36973253/

3. Zhu, Huijun, Yue, Haiying, Xie, Yiting, Zhou, Yanhua, Liu, Wenqi. . Bioinformatics and integrated analyses of prognosis-associated key genes in lung adenocarcinoma. In Journal of thoracic disease, 13, 1172-1186. doi:10.21037/jtd-21-49. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33717590/

4. Opazo, Tatiana, Garcés, Andrea, Tapia, Diego, Cancino, Jorge, Arriagada, Gloria. 2017. Functional Evidence of the Involvement of the Dynein Light Chain DYNLRB2 in Murine Leukemia Virus Infection. In Journal of virology, 91, . doi:10.1128/JVI.00129-17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28250122/