Epithelial cell polarity: what flies can teach us about cancer

2012 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 129-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. Bergstralh ◽  
Daniel St Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Human Cancer ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Epithelial Cell Polarity ◽  
Energetic Stress ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Cellular Machinery

Epithelial cells are polarized along their apical–basal axis. Much of the cellular machinery that goes into establishing and maintaining epithelial cell polarity is evolutionarily conserved. Model organisms, including the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, are thus particularly useful for the study of cell polarity. Work in Drosophila has identified several important components of the polarity machinery and has also established the surprising existence of a secondary cell polarity pathway required only under conditions of energetic stress. This work has important implications for the understanding of human cancer. Most cancers are epithelial in origin, and the loss of cell polarity is a critical step towards malignancy. Thus a better understanding of how polarity is established and maintained in epithelial cells will help us to understand the process of malignant transformation and may lead to improved therapies. In the present chapter we discuss the current understanding of how epithelial cell polarity is regulated and the known associations between polarity factors and cancer.

scholarly journals Move your microvilli

2014 ◽  
Vol 207 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Apical Membrane ◽  
Apical Surface ◽  
Epithelial Cell Polarity ◽  
Cell Biol ◽  
Polarized Epithelial Cells

Polarized epithelial cells create tightly packed arrays of microvilli in their apical membrane, but the fate of these microvilli is relatively unknown when epithelial cell polarity is lost during wound healing. In this issue, Klingner et al. (2014. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201402037) show that, when epithelial cells become subconfluent, actomyosin contractions locally within the apical cortex cause their microvilli to become motile over the dorsal/apical surface. Their unexpected observations may have implications for epithelial responses in wound healing and disease.

Epithelial cell polarity and hypoxia influence heme oxygenase-1 expression by heme in renal epithelial cells

2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (4) ◽  
pp. F790-F795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahesh Basireddy ◽  
Jason T. Lindsay ◽  
Anupam Agarwal ◽  
Daniel F. Balkovetz
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Heme Oxygenase ◽  
Mdck Cells ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Renal Tubules ◽  
Epithelial Cell Polarity ◽  
Surface Sensitivity

Induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in renal tubules occurs as an adaptive and beneficial response in acute renal failure (ARF) following ischemia and nephrotoxins. Using an in vitro model of polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells, we examined apical and basolateral cell surface sensitivity to HO-1 induction by heme. Basolateral exposure to 5 μM hemin (heme chloride) resulted in higher HO-1 induction than did apical exposure. The peak induction of HO-1 by basolateral application of hemin occurred between 12 and 18 h of exposure and was dose dependent. Similar cell surface sensitivity to hemin-induced HO-1 expression was observed using a mouse cortical collecting duct cell line (94D cells). Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is known to decrease cell polarity of MDCK cells. Following pretreatment with HGF, apically applied hemin gave greater stimulation of HO-1 expression, whereas HGF alone did not induce HO-1. We also examined the effect of hypoxia on hemin-mediated HO-1 induction. MDCK cells were subjected to hypoxia (1% O2) for 24 h to simulate the effects of ischemic ARF. Under hypoxic conditions, both apical as well as basolateral surfaces of MDCK were more sensitive to HO-1 induction by hemin. Hypoxia alone did not induce HO-1 but appeared to potentiate both apical and basolateral sensitivity to hemin-mediated induction. These data demonstrate that the induction of HO-1 expression in polarized renal epithelia by heme is achieved primarily via basolateral exposure. However, under conditions of altered renal epithelial cell polarity and hypoxia, increased HO-1 induction occurs following apical exposure to heme.

scholarly journals Accumulation of a microtubule-binding protein, pp170, at desmosomal plaques

1992 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 813-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
IU Wacker ◽  
JE Rickard ◽  
JR De Mey ◽  
TE Kreis
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Mdck Cells ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Cell Junction ◽  
Microtubule Binding ◽  
Epithelial Cell Polarity ◽  
Junction Formation ◽  
Cell Cell

The establishment of epithelial cell polarity correlates with the formation of specialized cell-cell junctions and striking changes in the organization of microtubules. A significant fraction of the microtubules in MDCK cells become stabilized, noncentrosomally organized, and arranged in longitudinal bundles in the apical-basal axis. This correlation suggests a functional link between cell-cell junction formation and control of microtubule organization. We have followed the distribution of pp170, a recently described microtubule-binding protein, during establishment of epithelial cell polarity. This protein shows the typical patchy distribution along microtubules in subconfluent fibroblasts and epithelial cells, often associated with the peripheral ends of a subpopulation of microtubules. In contrast to its localization in confluent fibroblasts (A72) and HeLa cells, however, pp170 accumulates in patches delineating the regions of cell-cell contacts in confluent polarizing epithelial cells (MDCK and Caco-2). Double immunolocalization with antibodies specific for cell-cell junction proteins, confocal microscopy, and immunoelectron microscopy on polarized MDCK cells suggest that pp170 accumulates at desmosomal plaques. Furthermore, microtubules and desmosomes are found in close contact. Maintenance of the desmosomal association of pp170 is dependent on intact microtubules in 3-d-old, but not in 1-d-old MDCK cell cultures. This suggests a regulated interaction between microtubules and desmosomes and a role for pp170 in the control of changes in the properties of microtubules induced by epithelial cell-cell junction formation.

scholarly journals The MAGUK Protein MPP7 Binds to the Polarity Protein hDlg1 and Facilitates Epithelial Tight Junction Formation

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1744-1755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker M. Stucke ◽  
Evy Timmerman ◽  
Joel Vandekerckhove ◽  
Kris Gevaert ◽  
Alan Hall
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Tight Junction ◽  
Tight Junctions ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Epithelial Cell Polarity ◽  
Tight Junction Formation ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Junction Formation ◽  
Epithelial Tight Junction

Three groups of evolutionarily conserved proteins have been implicated in the establishment of epithelial cell polarity: the apically-localized proteins of the Par (Par3-Par6-aPKC-Cdc42) and Crumbs groups (Crb3-PALS1-PATJ) and the basolaterally localized proteins of the Dlg group (Dlg1-Scribble-Lgl). During epithelial morphogenesis, these proteins participate in a complex network of interdependent interactions that define the position and functional organization of adherens junctions and tight junctions. However, the biochemical pathways through which they control polarity are poorly understood. In this study, we identify an interaction between endogenous hDlg1 and MPP7, a previously uncharacterized MAGUK-p55 subfamily member. We find that MPP7 targets to the lateral surface of epithelial cells via its L27N domain, through an interaction with hDlg1. Loss of either hDlg1 or MPP7 from epithelial Caco-2 cells results in a significant defect in the assembly and maintenance of functional tight junctions. We conclude that the formation of a complex between hDlg1 and MPP7 promotes epithelial cell polarity and tight junction formation.

scholarly journals LKB1 and AMPK maintain epithelial cell polarity under energetic stress

2013 ◽  
Vol 203 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Mirouse ◽  
Lance L. Swick ◽  
Nevzat Kazgan ◽  
Daniel St Johnston ◽  
Jay E. Brenman
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Epithelial Cell Polarity ◽  
Energetic Stress

scholarly journals The role of secretory and endocytic pathways in the maintenance of cell polarity

2012 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 29-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su Fen Ang ◽  
Heike Fölsch
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Waste Product ◽  
Transmembrane Proteins ◽  
The Body ◽  
Recycling Endosomes ◽  
Epithelial Cell Polarity ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Sorting Station

Epithelial cells line virtually every organ cavity in the body and are important for vectorial transport through epithelial monolayers such as nutrient uptake or waste product excretion. Central to these tasks is the establishment of epithelial cell polarity. During organ development, epithelial cells set up two biochemically distinct plasma membrane domains, the apical and the basolateral domain. Targeting of correct constituents to each of these regions is essential for maintaining epithelial cell polarity. Newly synthesized transmembrane proteins destined for the basolateral or apical membrane domain are sorted into separate transport carriers either at the TGN (trans-Golgi network) or in perinuclear REs (recycling endosomes). After initial delivery, transmembrane proteins, such as nutrient receptors, frequently undergo multiple rounds of endocytosis followed by re-sorting in REs. Recent work in epithelial cells highlights the REs as a potent sorting station with different subdomains representing individual targeting zones that facilitate the correct surface delivery of transmembrane proteins.

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