Overexpression of a novel activator of PAK4, the CDK5 kinase-associated protein CDK5RAP3, promotes hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis.

The CDK5 kinase regulatory subunit-associated protein 3 (CDK5RAP3 or C53/LZAP) regulates apoptosis induced by genotoxic stress. Although CDK5RAP3 has been implicated in cancer progression, its exact role in carcinogenesis is not well established. In this article, we report that CDK5RAP3 has an important prometastatic function in hepatocarcinogenesis.