Emerging roles of tripartite motif family proteins (TRIMs) in breast cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor worldwide. Despite enormous progress made in the past decades, the underlying mechanisms of BC remain further illustrated. Recently, TRIM family proteins proved to be engaged in BC progression through regulating various aspects. Here we reviewed the structures and basic functions of TRIM family members and first classified them into three groups according to canonical polyubiquitination forms that they could mediate: K48- only, K63- only, and both K48- and K63-linked ubiquitination. Afterwards, we focused on the specific biological functions and mechanisms of TRIMs in BCs, including tumorigenesis and invasiveness, drug sensitivity, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), cell cycle, and metabolic reprogramming. We also explored the potential of TRIMs as novel biomarkers for predicting prognosis and future therapeutic targets in BC.