scholarly journals Epigenetic Regulation and Post-Translational Modifications of SNAI1 in Cancer Metastasis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 11062
Author(s):  
Bo Dong ◽  
Yadi Wu
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Epigenetic Regulation ◽  
Tumor Metastasis ◽  
Metabolic Regulation ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

SNAI1, a zinc finger transcription factor, not only acts as the master regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) but also functions as a driver of cancer progression, including cell invasion, survival, immune regulation, stem cell properties, and metabolic regulation. The regulation of SNAI1 occurs at the transcriptional, translational, and predominant post-translational levels including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. Here, we discuss the regulation and role of SNAI1 in cancer metastasis, with a particular emphasis on epigenetic regulation and post-translational modifications. Understanding how signaling networks integrate with SNAI1 in cancer progression will shed new light on the mechanism of tumor metastasis and help develop novel therapeutic strategies against cancer metastasis.

scholarly journals Epigenetic Regulation of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in the Cancer Metastatic Cascade: Implications for Cancer Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiu-Luo Liu ◽  
Maochao Luo ◽  
Canhua Huang ◽  
Hai-Ning Chen ◽  
Zong-Guang Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Epigenetic Regulation ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastatic Cascade ◽  
Subsequent Transformation ◽  
Metastatic Cells

Metastasis is the end stage of cancer progression and the direct cause of most cancer-related deaths. The spreading of cancer cells from the primary site to distant organs is a multistep process known as the metastatic cascade, including local invasion, intravasation, survival in the circulation, extravasation, and colonization. Each of these steps is driven by the acquisition of genetic and/or epigenetic alterations within cancer cells, leading to subsequent transformation of metastatic cells. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a cellular process mediating the conversion of cell from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype, and its reverse transformation, termed mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET), together endow metastatic cells with traits needed to generate overt metastases in different scenarios. The dynamic shift between these two phenotypes and their transitional state, termed partial EMT, emphasizes the plasticity of EMT. Recent advances attributed this plasticity to epigenetic regulation, which has implications for the therapeutic targeting of cancer metastasis. In this review, we will discuss the association between epigenetic events and the multifaceted nature of EMT, which may provide insights into the steps of the cancer metastatic cascade.

Galectin-3: A factotum in carcinogenesis bestowing an archery for prevention

Tumor Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-96
Author(s):  
T. Jeethy Ram ◽  
Asha Lekshmi ◽  
Thara Somanathan ◽  
K. Sujathan
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Therapy Resistance ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Innovative Strategy ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Galectin 3

Cancer metastasis and therapy resistance are the foremost hurdles in oncology at the moment. This review aims to pinpoint the functional aspects of a unique multifaceted glycosylated molecule in both intracellular and extracellular compartments of a cell namely galectin-3 along with its metastatic potential in different types of cancer. All materials reviewed here were collected through the search engines PubMed, Scopus, and Google scholar. Among the 15 galectins identified, the chimeric gal-3 plays an indispensable role in the differentiation, transformation, and multi-step process of tumor metastasis. It has been implicated in the molecular mechanisms that allow the cancer cells to survive in the intravascular milieu and promote tumor cell extravasation, ultimately leading to metastasis. Gal-3 has also been found to have a pivotal role in immune surveillance and pro-angiogenesis and several studies have pointed out the importance of gal-3 in establishing a resistant phenotype, particularly through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. Additionally, some recent findings suggest the use of gal-3 inhibitors in overcoming therapeutic resistance. All these reports suggest that the deregulation of these specific lectins at the cellular level could inhibit cancer progression and metastasis. A more systematic study of glycosylation in clinical samples along with the development of selective gal-3 antagonists inhibiting the activity of these molecules at the cellular level offers an innovative strategy for primary cancer prevention.

scholarly journals Phosphorylation of Serine 11 and Serine 92 as New Positive Regulators of Human Snail1 Function: Potential Involvement of Casein Kinase-2 and the cAMP-activated Kinase Protein Kinase A

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Reid MacPherson ◽  
Patricia Molina ◽  
Serhiy Souchelnytskyi ◽  
Christer Wernstedt ◽  
Jorge Martin-Pérez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Export ◽  
Tumor Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cop9 Signalosome ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Positive Regulators

Snail1 is a major factor for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an important event in tumor metastasis and in other pathologies. Snail1 is tightly regulated at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Control of Snail1 protein stability and nuclear export by GSK3β phosphorylation is important for Snail1 functionality. Stabilization mechanisms independent of GSK3β have also been reported, including interaction with LOXL2 or regulation of the COP9 signalosome by inflammatory signals. To get further insights into the role of Snail1 phosphorylation, we have performed an in-depth analysis of in vivo human Snail1 phosphorylation combined with mutational studies. We identify new phosphorylation sites at serines 11, 82, and 92 and confirmed previously suggested phosphorylations at serine 104 and 107. Serines 11 and 92 participate in the control of Snail1 stability and positively regulate Snail1 repressive function and its interaction with mSin3A corepressor. Furthermore, serines 11 and 92 are required for Snail1-mediated EMT and cell viability, respectively. PKA and CK2 have been characterized as the main kinases responsible for in vitro Snail1 phosphorylation at serine 11 and 92, respectively. These results highlight serines 11 and 92 as new players in Snail1 regulation and suggest the participation of CK2 and PKA in the modulation of Snail1 functionality.

scholarly journals Cooperation of Cancer Stem Cell Properties and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in the Establishment of Breast Cancer Metastasis

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsu Hayashida ◽  
Hiromitsu Jinno ◽  
Yuko Kitagawa ◽  
Masaki Kitajima
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Stem Cell ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastatic Tumor ◽  
Breast Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Cell Junctions ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a multistep process in which cells acquire molecular alterations such as loss of cell-cell junctions and restructuring of the cytoskeleton. There is an increasing understanding that this process may promote breast cancer progression through promotion of invasive and metastatic tumor growth. Recent observations imply that there may be a cross-talk between EMT and cancer stem cell properties, leading to enhanced tumorigenicity and the capacity to generate heterogeneous tumor cell populations. Here, we review the experimental and clinical evidence for the involvement of EMT in cancer stem cell theory, focusing on the common characteristics of this phenomenon.

scholarly journals A Role of Tumor-Released Exosomes in Paracrine Dissemination and Metastasis

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Spugnini ◽  
Mariantonia Logozzi ◽  
Rossella Di Raimo ◽  
Davide Mizzoni ◽  
Stefano Fais
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
The Body ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Metastatic Cascade ◽  
Target Organs

Metastatic diffusion is thought to be a multi-step phenomenon involving the release of cells from the primary tumor and their diffusion through the body. Currently, several hypotheses have been put forward in order to explain the origin of cancer metastasis, including epithelial–mesenchymal transition, mutagenesis of stem cells, and a facilitating role of macrophages, involving, for example, transformation or fusion hybridization with neoplastic cells. In this paradigm, tumor-secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, play a pivotal role in cell communications, delivering a plethora of biomolecules including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. For their natural role in shuttling molecules, EVs have been newly considered a part of the metastatic cascade. They have a prominent role in preparing the so-called “tumor niches” in target organs. However, recent evidence has pointed out an even more interesting role of tumor EVs, consisting in their ability to induce malignant transformation in resident mesenchymal stem cells. All in all, in this review, we discuss the multiple involvements of EVs in the metastatic cascade, and how we can exploit and manipulate EVs in order to reduce the metastatic spread of malignant tumors.

scholarly journals N-cadherin in cancer dormancy

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Garima Sinha ◽  
Pranela Rameshwar
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Signaling Cascades ◽  
Intercellular Interaction ◽  
Adhesion Protein ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Cycle Arrest ◽  
Cancer Dormancy ◽  
Rho Family

AbstractN-cadherin is an adhesion protein, which is important for intercellular interaction. It is involved in cell migration and motility during embryonic development, neuronal synapsis and cancer metastasis. There are several signaling cascades affected by N-cadherin including TGF-β, Rho family. N-cadherin is associated at the cytoplasmic domain with catenins (α, β, γ and p120) to facilitate metastasis. An increase in N-cadherin with down regulation of E-cadherin occurs during epithelial mesenchymal transition. Overexpression of N-cadherin is associated with cell cycle arrest, which correlates with a similar property of cancer stem cells (CSC). Connexin expression, which is important in CSC dormancy, is regulated by N-cadherin. This review discusses the potential of N-cadherin to be involved in maintaining CSCs, and to investigate pathways in N-cadherin expression. A better understanding of the role of N-Cadherin in CSC biology may identify new targets for the treatment of cancer.

scholarly journals Vimentin Is at the Heart of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Mediated Metastasis

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 4985
Author(s):  
Saima Usman ◽  
Naushin H. Waseem ◽  
Thuan Khanh Ngoc Nguyen ◽  
Sahar Mohsin ◽  
Ahmad Jamal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Mesenchymal Cells ◽  
Type I ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Tumour Spread ◽  
Molecular Events

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible plethora of molecular events where epithelial cells gain the phenotype of mesenchymal cells to invade the surrounding tissues. EMT is a physiological event during embryogenesis (type I) but also happens during fibrosis (type II) and cancer metastasis (type III). It is a multifaceted phenomenon governed by the activation of genes associated with cell migration, extracellular matrix degradation, DNA repair, and angiogenesis. The cancer cells employ EMT to acquire the ability to migrate, resist therapeutic agents and escape immunity. One of the key biomarkers of EMT is vimentin, a type III intermediate filament that is normally expressed in mesenchymal cells but is upregulated during cancer metastasis. This review highlights the pivotal role of vimentin in the key events during EMT and explains its role as a downstream as well as an upstream regulator in this highly complex process. This review also highlights the areas that require further research in exploring the role of vimentin in EMT. As a cytoskeletal protein, vimentin filaments support mechanical integrity of the migratory machinery, generation of directional force, focal adhesion modulation and extracellular attachment. As a viscoelastic scaffold, it gives stress-bearing ability and flexible support to the cell and its organelles. However, during EMT it modulates genes for EMT inducers such as Snail, Slug, Twist and ZEB1/2, as well as the key epigenetic factors. In addition, it suppresses cellular differentiation and upregulates their pluripotent potential by inducing genes associated with self-renewability, thus increasing the stemness of cancer stem cells, facilitating the tumour spread and making them more resistant to treatments. Several missense and frameshift mutations reported in vimentin in human cancers may also contribute towards the metastatic spread. Therefore, we propose that vimentin should be a therapeutic target using molecular technologies that will curb cancer growth and spread with reduced mortality and morbidity.

scholarly journals SPNS2 Downregulation Induces EMT and Promotes Colorectal Cancer Metastasis via Activating AKT Signaling Pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Lv ◽  
Qiyi Yi ◽  
Ying Yan ◽  
Fengmei Chao ◽  
Ming Li
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Akt Inhibitor ◽  
Colon Adenoma ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

Spinster homologue 2 (SPNS2), a transporter of S1P (sphingosine-1-phosphate), has been reported to mediate immune response, vascular development, and pathologic processes of diseases such as cancer via S1P signaling pathways. However, its biological functions and expression profile in colorectal cancer (CRC) is elusive. In this study, we disclosed that SPNS2 expression, which was regulated by copy number variation and DNA methylation of its promoter, was dramatically upregulated in colon adenoma and CRC compared to normal tissues. However, its expression was lower in CRC than in colon adenoma, and low expression of SPN2 correlated with advanced T/M/N stage and poor prognosis in CRC. Ectopic expression of SPNS2 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and metastasis in CRC cell lines, while silencing SPNS2 had the opposite effects. Meanwhile, measuring the intracellular and extracellular level of S1P after overexpression of SPNS2 pinpointed a S1P-independent model of SPNS2. Mechanically, SPNS2 led to PTEN upregulation and inactivation of Akt. Moreover, AKT inhibitor (MK2206) abrogated SPNS2 knockdown-induced promoting effects on the migration and invasion, while AKT activator (SC79) reversed the repression of migration and invasion by SPNS2 overexpression in CRC cells, confirming the pivotal role of AKT for SPNS2’s function. Collectively, our study demonstrated the suppressor role of SPNS2 during CRC metastasis, providing new insights into the pathology and molecular mechanisms of CRC progression.

Role of Herbal Medicine/Phyto-Therapy in Cancer Prevention by Inhibiting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Pathways

2021 ◽  
pp. 215-234
Author(s):  
Rekha Gahtori ◽  
Ashutosh Paliwal
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Synthetic Drugs ◽  
Extracellular Signals ◽  
Different Levels

Human life is surrounded and dependent on its environment. Human civilization is nurtured by nature as it provides raw materials that are used in the manufacturing of various essential products like medicine, food items, etc. Not only developing countries but developed countries also depend on herbal-based medications. Cancer is a global health burden. Epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) plays a key role in cancer progression and is also stimulated by different extracellular signals and could be regulated at different levels. Conventional therapies exhibit a cytotoxic effect, which encourages the development of a new approach that could be used with synthetic drugs. Phytotherapy emerged as an effective weapon against cancer. Herbal drugs directly target different signaling pathways that promote EMT and eventually lead to cancer.

The Role of Calcium Signaling in Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Divya Adiga ◽  
Raghu Radhakrishnan ◽  
Sanjiban Chakrabarty ◽  
Prashant Kumar ◽  
Shama Prasada Kabekkodu
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cancer Therapeutics ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Microenvironmental Factors ◽  
Favorable Clinical Outcome

Despite substantial advances in the field of cancer therapeutics, metastasis is a significant challenge for a favorable clinical outcome. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process of acquiring increased motility, invasiveness, and therapeutic resistance by cancer cells for their sustained growth and survival. A plethora of intrinsic mechanisms and extrinsic microenvironmental factors drive the process of cancer metastasis. Calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>) signaling plays a critical role in dictating the adaptive metastatic cell behavior comprising of cell migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and intravasation. By modulating EMT, Ca<sup>2+</sup> signaling can regulate the complexity and dynamics of events leading to metastasis. This review summarizes the role of Ca<sup>2+</sup> signal remodeling in the regulation of EMT and metastasis in cancer.

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