Aquaporin-5 regulation of cell-cell adhesion proteins: an elusive "tail" story

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric H. Login ◽  
Johan Palmfeldt ◽  
Joleen Cheah ◽  
Soichiro Yamada ◽  
Lene N. Nejsum
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Water Transport ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Tail Domain ◽  
Aquaporin 5 ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cancer Spread ◽  
Aqp5 Expression ◽  
Migration Capacity ◽  
Cell Cell

Aquaporins (AQPs) are water channels that facilitate transport of water across cellular membranes. AQPs are overexpressed in several cancers. Especially in breast cancer, AQP5 overexpression correlates with spread to lymph nodes and poor prognosis. Previously, we showed that AQP5 expression reduced cell-cell adhesion by reducing levels of adherens and tight junction proteins (e.g., ZO1, plakoglobin and β-catenin) at the actual junctions. Here, we show that when targeted to the plasma membrane, the AQP5 C-terminal tail domain regulated junctional proteins. Moreover, that AQP5 interacted with ZO1, plakoglobin, β-catenin and desmoglein-2, which were all reduced at junctions upon AQP5 overexpression. Thus, our data suggest that AQP5 mediates the effect on cell-cell adhesion via interactions with junctional protein independently of AQP5 mediated water transport. AQP5 overexpression in cancers may thus contribute to carcinogenesis and cancer spread by two independent mechanisms: reduced cell-cell adhesion, a characteristic of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and increased cell migration capacity via water transport.

scholarly journals INDUCTION OF EPITHELIAL-TO-MESENCHYMAL TRANSITION IN MCF-7-SNAI1 CELLS LEADS TO REORGANIZATION OF ADHERENS JUNCTIONS AND ACQUISITION OF MIGRATORY ACTIVITY

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 24-29
Author(s):  
I. Y. Zhitnyak ◽  
N. I. Litovka ◽  
S. N. Rubtsova ◽  
N. A. Gloushankova
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Culture Medium ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal Phenotype ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Migratory Activity ◽  
Mcf 7 ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

Using DIC and confocal microscopy, changes in morphology, migratory characteristics and adherence junctions (AJs) were analyzed in the mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7-SNAI1  after activation of the EMT transcription factor SNAI1. Western Blot analysis showed that  after removal of tetracycline from the cell culture medium expression of SNAI1 reached its  peak in 24 hours and then plateaued for 7 days. During the 7 days the cells continued to  express E-cadherin; however, tangential AJs typical for cells with stable cell-cell adhesion,  changed into radial AJs. The radial AJs continued to accumulate E-cadherin during 24‑72  hours after tetracycline removal. As a result of SNAI1 activation, the cells underwent  epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and became migratory. On a two-dimensional  substrate, cells exhibited both individual and collective migration. As the tetracycline  washout period progressed, the fraction of the cells capable of migrating through migration chamber membranes increased; on the contrary, cells’ ability to invade an epithelial  monolayer decreased. These results demonstrate that retaining a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal  phenotype and accumulation of E-cadherin in AJs during early stages of EMT do not impede  disruption of stable cell-cell adhesion and cells’ acquisition of migratory activity.

scholarly journals Claudins and Gastric Cancer: An Overview

Cancers ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Itaru Hashimoto ◽  
Takashi Oshima
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
Cell Cell

Despite recent improvements in diagnostic ability and treatment strategies, advanced gastric cancer (GC) has a high frequency of recurrence and metastasis, with poor prognosis. To improve the treatment results of GC, the search for new treatment targets from proteins related to epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell–cell adhesion is currently being conducted. EMT plays an important role in cancer metastasis and is initiated by the loss of cell–cell adhesion, such as tight junctions (TJs), adherens junctions, desmosomes, and gap junctions. Among these, claudins (CLDNs) are highly expressed in some cancers, including GC. Abnormal expression of CLDN1, CLDN2, CLDN3, CLDN4, CLDN6, CLDN7, CLDN10, CLDN11, CLDN14, CLDN17, CLDN18, and CLDN23 have been reported. Among these, CLDN18 is of particular interest. In The Cancer Genome Atlas, GC was classified into four new molecular subtypes, and CLDN18–ARHGAP fusion was observed in the genomically stable type. An anti-CLDN18.2 antibody drug was recently developed as a therapeutic drug for GC, and the results of clinical trials are highly predictable. Thus, CLDNs are highly expressed in GC as TJs and are expected targets for new antibody drugs. Herein, we review the literature on CLDNs, focusing on CLDN18 in GC.

scholarly journals Glycosyltransferase POMGNT1 deficiency affects N-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina Ibne Noor ◽  
Marcus Hoffmann ◽  
Natalie Rinis ◽  
Markus F. Bartels ◽  
Patrick Winterhalter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Adhesion Properties ◽  
Knock Out ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Transcriptional Changes ◽  
Cell Cell

AbstractDefects in protein O-mannosylation lead to severe congenital muscular dystrophies known as α-dystroglycanopathy. A hallmark of these diseases is the loss of the O-mannose-bound matriglycan on α-dystroglycan, which leads to a reduction in cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix. Mutations in protein O-mannose β1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 1 (POMGNT1), which is crucial for the elongation of O-mannosyl glycans, are mainly associated with muscle-eye-brain (MEB) disease. In addition to defects in cell-extracellular matrix adhesion, aberrant cell-cell adhesion has occasionally been observed in response to defects in POMGNT1. However, direct molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. We used POMGNT1 knock-out HEK293T cells and fibroblasts from a MEB patient to gain a deeper insight into the molecular changes in POMGNT1 deficiency. A combination of biochemical and molecular biological techniques with proteomics, glycoproteomics and glycomics revealed that a lack of POMGNT1 activity strengthens cell-cell adhesion. We demonstrate that the altered intrinsic adhesion properties are due to an increased abundance of N-cadherin (N-Cdh). In addition, site-specific changes in the N-glycan structures in the extracellular domain of N-Cdh were detected, which positively impact on homotypic interactions. We found that in POMGNT1 deficient cells ERK1/2 and p38 signaling pathways are activated and transcriptional changes that are comparable to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are triggered, defining a possible molecular mechanism underlying the observed phenotype. Our study indicates that changes in cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and other EMT-related processes may contribute to the complex clinical symptoms of MEB or α-dystroglycanopathy in general, and suggests a previously underestimated impact of changes in O-mannosylation on N-glycosylation.

scholarly journals ARHGAP21 Protein, a New Partner of α-Tubulin Involved in Cell-Cell Adhesion Formation and Essential for Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

2012 ◽  
Vol 288 (4) ◽  
pp. 2179-2189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin S. A. Barcellos ◽  
Carolina L. Bigarella ◽  
Mark V. Wagner ◽  
Karla P. Vieira ◽  
Mariana Lazarini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Adhesion Formation ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cell Cell

scholarly journals Early Events in Actin Cytoskeleton Dynamics and E-Cadherin-Mediated Cell-Cell Adhesion during Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Y. Zhitnyak ◽  
Svetlana N. Rubtsova ◽  
Nikita I. Litovka ◽  
Natalya A. Gloushankova
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Immunofluorescent Staining ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Actin Bundle ◽  
Cell Contacts ◽  
The Stability ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in development and also in initiation of metastasis during cancer. Disruption of cell-cell contacts during EMT allowing cells to detach from and migrate away from their neighbors remains poorly understood. Using immunofluorescent staining and live-cell imaging, we analyzed early events during EMT induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in IAR-20 normal epithelial cells. Control cells demonstrated stable adherens junctions (AJs) and robust contact paralysis, whereas addition of EGF caused rapid dynamic changes at the cell-cell boundaries: fragmentation of the circumferential actin bundle, assembly of actin network in lamellipodia, and retrograde flow. Simultaneously, an actin-binding protein EPLIN was phosphorylated, which may have decreased the stability of the circumferential actin bundle. Addition of EGF caused gradual replacement of linear E-cadherin–based AJs with dynamic and unstable punctate AJs, which, unlike linear AJs, colocalized with the mechanosensitive protein zyxin, confirming generation of centripetal force at the sites of cell-cell contacts during EMT. Our data show that early EMT promotes heightened dynamics at the cell-cell boundaries—replacement of stable AJs and actin structures with dynamic ones—which results in overall weakening of cell-cell adhesion, thus priming the cells for front-rear polarization and eventual migration.

scholarly journals Role of Cadherins in Cancer—A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (20) ◽  
pp. 7624
Author(s):  
Ilona Kaszak ◽  
Olga Witkowska-Piłaszewicz ◽  
Zuzanna Niewiadomska ◽  
Bożena Dworecka-Kaszak ◽  
Felix Ngosa Toka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Tumor Progression ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Rho Gtpases ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

Cadherins play an important role in tissue homeostasis, as they are responsible for cell-cell adhesion during embryogenesis, tissue morphogenesis, differentiation and carcinogenesis. Cadherins are inseparably connected with catenins, forming cadherin-catenin complexes, which are crucial for cell-to-cell adherence. Any dysfunction or destabilization of cadherin-catenin complex may result in tumor progression. Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a mechanism in which epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) expression is lost during tumor progression. However, during tumorigenesis, many processes take place, and downregulation of E-cadherin, nuclear β-catenin and p120 catenin (p120) signaling are among the most critical. Additional signaling pathways, such as Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), Rho GTPases, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Hippo affect cadherin cell-cell adhesion and also contribute to tumor progression and metastasis. Many signaling pathways may be activated during tumorigenesis; thus, cadherin-targeting drugs seem to limit the progression of malignant tumor. This review discusses the role of cadherins in selected signaling mechanisms involved in tumor growth. The clinical importance of cadherin will be discussed in cases of human and animal cancers.

scholarly journals Two Secreted Proteoglycans, Activators of Urothelial Cell–Cell Adhesion, Negatively Contribute to Bladder Cancer Initiation and Progression

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasiliki Papadaki ◽  
Ken Asada ◽  
Julie K. Watson ◽  
Toshiya Tamura ◽  
Alex Leung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bladder Cancer ◽  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Expression Profiling ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cancer Initiation ◽  
Umbrella Cells ◽  
Cell Cell

Osteomodulin (OMD) and proline/arginine-rich end leucine repeat protein (PRELP) are secreted extracellular matrix proteins belonging to the small leucine-rich proteoglycans family. We found that OMD and PRELP were specifically expressed in umbrella cells in bladder epithelia, and their expression levels were dramatically downregulated in all bladder cancers from very early stages and various epithelial cancers. Our in vitro studies including gene expression profiling using bladder cancer cell lines revealed that OMD or PRELP application suppressed the cancer progression by inhibiting TGF-β and EGF pathways, which reversed epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), activated cell–cell adhesion, and inhibited various oncogenic pathways. Furthermore, the overexpression of OMD in bladder cancer cells strongly inhibited the anchorage-independent growth and tumorigenicity in mouse xenograft studies. On the other hand, we found that in the bladder epithelia, the knockout mice of OMD and/or PRELP gene caused partial EMT and a loss of tight junctions of the umbrella cells and resulted in formation of a bladder carcinoma in situ-like structure by spontaneous breakdowns of the umbrella cell layer. Furthermore, the ontological analysis of the expression profiling of an OMD knockout mouse bladder demonstrated very high similarity with those obtained from human bladder cancers. Our data indicate that OMD and PRELP are endogenous inhibitors of cancer initiation and progression by controlling EMT. OMD and/or PRELP may have potential for the treatment of bladder cancer.

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