ZEB1 and oncogenic Ras constitute a regulatory switch for stimulus-dependent E-cadherin downregulation.

ABSTRACT: E-cadherin, an epithelial cell-specific cell adhesion molecule, has both promoting and suppressing effects on tumor invasion and metastasis. It is often downregulated during cancer progression through gene deletion/mutation, transcriptional repression, or epigenetic silencing. We describe a novel regulatory switch to induce stimulus-dependent downregulation of mRNA encoding E-cadherin (CDH1 mRNA) in KRAS-mutated cancer cells. The regulatory switch consists of ZEB1 and oncogenic K-Ras, does not target the promoter region of CDH1, and requires an external cue to temporally downregulate E-cadherin expression. Its repressive effect is maintained as long as the external stimulus continues and is attenuated with cessation of the stimulus. Contextual external cues that turn this regulatory switch

SUBMITTER: Otake S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7780036 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature