Expression of the human antimicrobial peptide β-defensin-1 is repressed by the EGFR-ERK-MYC axis in colonic epithelial cells.

ABSTRACT: The human β-defensin-1 (HBD1) is an antimicrobial peptide constitutively expressed by epithelial cells at mucosal surfaces. In addition to its microbicidal properties, the loss of HBD1 expression in several cancers suggests that it may also have an anti-tumor activity. Here, we investigated the link between HBD1 expression and cancer signaling pathways in the human colon cancer cell lines TC7 and HT-29, and in normal human colonic primary cells, using a mini-gut organoid model. Using available datasets from patient cohorts, we found that HBD1 transcription is decreased in colorectal cancer. We demonstrated that inhibiting the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) increased HBD1 expression, whereas activating EGFR repressed HBD1 expression, through the MEKK1/2-ERK1/2 pathway that ultimate

SUBMITTER: Bonamy C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6303337 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature