RNF2

Overview

RNF2 (also known as RING1B) encodes a RING-domain E3 ubiquitin ligase that is the catalytic subunit of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1). It ubiquitinates histone H2A at lysine 119, a key mark for Polycomb-mediated gene silencing. RNF2 plays roles in stem cell identity, X-chromosome inactivation, and cancer cell differentiation. In the context of Ewing sarcoma, RNF2/RING1B has been identified as a cell-of-origin trait of human embryonic mesenchymal stem cells (heMSCs).

Alterations observed in the corpus

  • Identified as a cell-of-origin trait of heMSCs (human embryonic mesenchymal stem cells) and retained in experimental EWS::FLI1-induced Ewing sarcoma tumors per spatial transcriptomics; previously linked to Ewing sarcoma biology by the same group PMID:25186949

Cancer types (linked)

  • Ewing sarcoma: RNF2/RING1B expression marks the stem-cell phenotype associated with the proposed Ewing cell of origin PMID:25186949

Co-occurrence and mutual exclusivity

  • Co-expressed with UCP2 and other heMSC stem-cell markers in experimental Ewing tumors PMID:25186949

Therapeutic relevance

  • No direct therapeutic targeting reported in the corpus.

Open questions

  • Whether RNF2/RING1B expression levels are prognostic in primary Ewing sarcoma tumors remains uncharacterized.

Sources

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