TRIB1/Trb1

Among the three mammalian tribbles proteins, TRIB2 (Trb-2) stands out as a potent oncoprotein in hematopoietic malignancies. Like its siblings TRIB1 and TRIB3, it is a catalytically inactive pseudokinase that couples the COP1 ubiquitin ligase to substrates through a C-terminal degron, promoting degradation of the myeloid master regulator C/EBPα and of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Overexpressed in a subset of acute myeloid leukemia, TRIB2 blocks differentiation and confers resistance to chemotherapy while engaging AKT signaling. Expression is enriched in proliferating cells and in ovarian and other solid tumors, and its disruption of C/EBPα homeostasis provides a mechanistic link between pseudokinase adaptors and leukemogenesis.