Thrombospondin 1 promotes an aggressive phenotype through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human melanoma.

ABSTRACT: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which epithelial cells loose their polarity and become motile mesenchymal cells, is a determinant of melanoma metastasis. We compared gene expression signatures of mesenchymal-like melanoma cells with those of epithelial-like melanoma cells, and identified Thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) as highly up-regulated in the mesenchymal phenotype. This study investigated whether THBS1, a major physiological activator of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, is involved in melanoma EMT-like process. We sought to examine expression patterns in distinct melanoma phenotypes including invasive, de-differentiated, label-retaining and drug resistant populations that are putatively associated with an EMT-like process. Here we show that THBS1 expression and secretio

SUBMITTER: Jayachandran A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4170613 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature