The retinoblastoma protein: A master tumor suppressor acts as a link between cell cycle and cell adhesion

Abstract

RB1 was the first tumor suppressor gene discovered. Over 4 decades of work have revealed that the Rb protein (Rb) is a master regulator of biological pathways influencing virtually every aspect of intrinsic cell fate including cell growth, cell-cycle checkpoints, differentiation, senescence, self-renewal, replication, genomic stability, and apoptosis. While these many processes may account for a significant portion of RB1’s potency as a tumor suppressor, a small but growing stream of evidence suggests that RB1 also significantly influences how a cell interacts with its environment, including cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions. This review will highlight Rb’s role in the control of cell adhesion and how alterations in the adhesive properties of tumor cells may drive the deadly process of metastasis.