<p>Cytochrome b5 heme binding domain 2 (CYB5D2) is a heme binding protein that was initially identified for its ability to attenuate the function of the PTEN tumor suppressor gene. CYB5D2 sustains ectopic PTEN expression in U87 cells, and can also confer survival from serum starvation in NIH3T3 cells. An antibody was generated to the carboxyl terminus of CYB5D2 to detect endogenous protein expression. The highest expression of CYB5D2 protein is in neural cancer cell lines. CYB5D2 is weakly expressed in breast and kidney cancer cell lines, and moderately expressed in prostate cancer cell lines. To investigate the role of the heme binding domain in CYB5D2, a conserved aspartic acid (D86) within this domain was mutated to glycine, and this was characterized as being unable to bind heme. CYB5D2(D86G) displayed a loss of function compared to wild-type CYB5D2. To study the loss of expression of CYB5D2, stable CYB5D2 shRNA was achieved in HeLa and Huh7 cells. While ectopic CYB5D2 inhibited HeLa cell proliferation and growth in soft agar, CYB5D2(D86G) expression and CYB5D2 shRNA increased cell proliferation and soft agar growth. While ectopic CYB5D2 conferred survival from chemotherapeutic drugs in HeLa cells, CYB5D2(D86G) and CYB5D2 shRNA cells were susceptible to drug treatments. CYB5D2 inhibits SREBP signalling, which requires its heme binding ability. Using cyclohexamide treatments, CYB5D2 stabilized ectopic Insig1, while CYB5D2(D86G) destabilized ectopic Insig1. CYB5D2 shRNA reduced endogeneous CYP51A1 (lanosterol demethylase) and Insig1 protein levels, and increased the susceptibility of HeLa cells to mevalonate treatments. Furthermore, CYB5D2 shRNA HeLa cells displayed reduced CYP3A4 activity, a cytochrome P450 enzyme involved in drug metabolism. CYB5D2 binds to cytochrome P450 reductase (POR), while CYB5D2(D86G) cannot. CYB5D2 co-immunoprecipitates with endogenous POR under serum-free conditions in HeLa and Huh7 cells, while CYB5D2(D86G) cannot. Collectively, CYB5D2 is a POR interacting protein, which regulates CYP51A1 and CYP3A4 activity.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)