biostudies-literaturePrahalad PNIDDK NIH HHSNCI NIH HHSe10023https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC2850308biostudies-literatureUnknown5(4)Tumor development, growth, and metastasis depend on the provision of an adequate vascular supply. This can be due to regulated angiogenesis, recruitment of circulating endothelial progenitors, and/or vascular transdifferentiation. Our previous studies showed that retinoic acid (RA) treatment converts a subset of breast cancer cells into cells with significant endothelial genotypic and phenotypic elements including marked induction of VE-cadherin, which was responsible for some but not all morphological changes. The present study demonstrates that of the endothelial-related genes induced by RA treatment, only a few were affected by knockdown of VE-cadherin, ruling it out as a regulator of the RA-induced endothelial genotypic switch. In contrast, knockdown of the RA-induced gene COUP-TFII prevented the formation of networks in Matrigel but had no effect on VE-cadherin induction or cell fusion. Two pan-kinase inhibitors markedly blocked RA-induced VE-cadherin expression and cell fusion. However, RA treatment resulted in a marked and broad reduction in tyrosine kinase activity. Several genes in the TGFbeta signaling pathway were induced by RA, and specific inhibition of the TGFbeta type I receptor blocked both RA-induced VE-cadherin expression and cell fusion. Together these data indicate a role for the TGFbeta pathway and COUP-TFII in mediating the endothelial transdifferentiating properties of RA.PloS oneRetinoic acid mediates regulation of network formation by COUP-TFII and VE-cadherin expression by TGFbeta receptor kinase in breast cancer cells.PMC2850308P30 CA51008P30 CA051008R01 DK058196R01 DK58196R01 CA1298131R01CA129813Byers SWRessom HDakshanamurthy SPrahalad PfalseRetinoic acid mediates regulation of network formation by COUP-TFII and VE-cadherin expression by TGFbeta receptor kinase in breast cancer cells.Tumor development, growth, and metastasis depend on the provision of an adequate vascular supply. This can be due to regulated angiogenesis, recruitment of circulating endothelial progenitors, and/or vascular transdifferentiation. Our previous studies showed that retinoic acid (RA) treatment converts a subset of breast cancer cells into cells with significant endothelial genotypic and phenotypic elements including marked induction of VE-cadherin, which was responsible for some but not all morphological changes. The present study demonstrates that of the endothelial-related genes induced by RA treatment, only a few were affected by knockdown of VE-cadherin, ruling it out as a regulator of the RA-induced endothelial genotypic switch. In contrast, knockdown of the RA-induced gene COUP-TFII prevented the formation of networks in Matrigel but had no effect on VE-cadherin induction or cell fusion. Two pan-kinase inhibitors markedly blocked RA-induced VE-cadherin expression and cell fusion. However, RA treatment resulted in a marked and broad reduction in tyrosine kinase activity. Several genes in the TGFbeta signaling pathway were induced by RA, and specific inhibition of the TGFbeta type I receptor blocked both RA-induced VE-cadherin expression and cell fusion. Together these data indicate a role for the TGFbeta pathway and COUP-TFII in mediating the endothelial transdifferentiating properties of RA.2010-01-01T00:00:00Z2010 Apr2024-11-20T05:01:43.703Z2019-03-26T23:07:27ZS-EPMC28503082038659410.1371/journal.pone.0010023