phosphatases of regenerating liver (PRLs)

Introduction

phosphatases of regenerating liver (PRLs) are a family of proteins involved in cell growth and metabolism
PRLs exist in all kinds of single- and multi-cell animals, and the role of PRLs in binding magnesium transporters is common among all studied species
they are a small family of membrane-bound cysteine phosphatases within the CC1 (cysteine-based, group 1) protein phosphatase superfamily
they act as pseudophosphatases to regulate the CNNM family of magnesium transporters
in eukaryotes, CNNM activity is regulated by the binding of PRLs - unbound CNNMs are capable of translocating Mg2+ out of the cell, while PRL–CNNM complexes are not

in many animals, they play a unique role in the growth of cancerous tumours and the spread of cancer throughout the body
PRLs are now considered to be the most oncogenic protein phosphatases
oncogenicity of PRLs is thought to depend on their binding and inhibition of CNNMs
in some cancers such as metastatic colorectal cancer, the proteins are overexpressed up to 300-fold
overexpression of PRLs makes cancer cells more metastatic and drives the spread to other organs ¹⁾

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