CASP4 gene silencing in epithelial cancer cells leads to impairment of cell migration, cell-matrix adhesion and tissue invasion.

ABSTRACT: Inflammatory caspases, including human caspase-4 (CASP4), play key roles in innate immune responses to promote fusion of phagosomes harboring pathogenic bacteria with lysosomes, halt intracellular replication of pathogens, maturation and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The role of inflammatory caspases in cancer cells remains poorly investigated. Here, we explored the consequences of modulating CASP4 expression levels on the migratory behavior of epithelial cancer cell lines. By a gene silencing approach and in vitro and in vivo studies we show that down-regulation of CASP4 leads to impaired cell migration and cell-matrix adhesion. This phenotype is accompanied by an increased actin cytoskeleton polymerization, changes in the overall organization of adherens junctions (AJs) and nu

SUBMITTER: Papoff G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6286322 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature