Identification of Key Binding Partners of Elongin C

Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Prostate cancer affects one in seven men in the United States. Thus, prostate cancer provides a very serious healthy threat to men in the United States. Unfortunately, not much is known as to how normal prostate cells are transformed into a cancerous state, or how once transformed remain in the cancerous state. A study preformed by Porkka et. al in 2002 revealed that Elongin C is over expressed in prostate cancer cell lines. I hypothesize that over expression of Elongin C could inappropriately stabilize or destabilize key proteins involved in cell regulation leading to the mutation and or proliferation of cancerous cells. Through the use of a two-hybrid screening process I have identified four proteins within the prostate cell that interact with Elongin C.