Role of nuclear and cytoplasmic localization in the tumour-suppressor activity of the von Hippel-Lindau protein

Mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour-suppressor gene result in several forms of cancer. In the present study, we investigated the role of VHL subcellular localization in its antitumour properties. We generated renal cell carcinoma (RCC) lines stably expressing either exclusively nuclear (RCC/NLS-VHL), cytoplasmic (RCC/NES-VHL) or nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling (RCC/ΔNES-VHL or RCC/VHL) forms of VHL and investigated several parameters linked to tumorigenesis and known to be dysregulated in VHL disease. Remarkably, although the expression of wild-type VHL is largely cytoplasmic, all of the antitumour properties of VHL tested could be reconstituted by expressing exclusively nuclear VHL.