TGF-β stimulates Pyk2 expression as part of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition program required for metastatic outgrowth of breast cancer.

ABSTRACT: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs are essential in promoting breast cancer invasion, systemic dissemination and in arousing proliferative programs in breast cancer micrometastases, a reaction that is partially dependent on focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Many functions of FAK are shared by its homolog, protein tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2), raising the question as to whether Pyk2 also participates in driving the metastatic outgrowth of disseminated breast cancer cells. In addressing this question, we observed Pyk2 expression to be (i) significantly upregulated in recurrent human breast cancers; (ii) differentially expressed across clonal isolates of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in a manner predictive for metastatic outgrowth, but not for invasiveness; and (iii) dramatically

SUBMITTER: Wendt MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3721373 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature