Transforming growth factor-β signaling enhancement by long-term exposure to hypoxia in a tumor microenvironment composed of Lewis lung carcinoma cells.

ABSTRACT: Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a potent growth inhibitor in normal epithelial cells. However, a number of malignant tumors produce excessive amounts of TGF-β, which affects the tumor-associated microenvironment by furthering the progression of tumorigenicity. Although it is known that the tumor-associated microenvironment often becomes hypoxic, how hypoxia influences TGF-β signaling in this microenvironment is unknown. We investigated whether TGF-β signaling is influenced by long-term exposure to hypoxia in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. When the cells were exposed to hypoxia for more than 10 days, their morphology was remarkably changed to a spindle shape, and TGF-β-induced Smad2 phosphorylation was enhanced. Concomitantly, TGF-β-induced transcriptional activity was augmented

SUBMITTER: Furuta C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4714699 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature