The TRE17/USP6 oncogene: a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

Abstract

De-ubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) play critical roles in diverse cellular processes, including intracellular trafficking, protein turnover, inflammatory signaling, and cell transformation. The first DUB to be identified as an oncogene was TRE17/Ubiquitin-specific protease 6 (USP6)/Tre-2. In addition to encoding a USP, TRE17 also contains a TBC (Tre-2/Bub2/Cdc16) domain implicated in GTPase regulation and trafficking. Though first described almost two decades ago, remarkably little has been elucidated regarding TRE17's molecular and cellular functions. However, recent work has implicated TRE17 as a key etiological factor in aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC), a locally recurrent pediatric bone tumor, and identified potential pathways through which it acts. In this review, we discuss the most up-to-date findings on the molecular functions of TRE17, the role of its USP and TBC domains, and potential models for how it contributes to transformation and ABC pathogenesis.