E-cadherin suppression accelerates squamous cell carcinoma progression in three-dimensional, human tissue constructs.
AuthorsMargulis A, Zhang W, Alt-Holland A, Crawford HC, Fusenig NE, Garlick JA,
JournalCancer Res
PubMed ID15753375
'We studied the link between loss of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion and acquisition of malignant properties in three-dimensional, human tissue constructs that mimicked the initial stages of squamous cell cancer progression. Suppression of E-cadherin expression in early-stage, skin-derived tumor cells (HaCaT-II-4) was induced by cytoplasmic sequestration of beta-catenin upon stable expression of ... More
Cadherin adhesion receptors orient the mitotic spindle during symmetric cell division in mammalian epithelia.
'Oriented cell division is a fundamental determinant of tissue organization. Simple epithelia divide symmetrically in the plane of the monolayer to preserve organ structure during epithelial morphogenesis and tissue turnover. For this to occur, mitotic spindles must be stringently oriented in the Z-axis, thereby establishing the perpendicular division plane between ... More
Proliferation, cell cycle exit, and onset of terminal differentiation in cultured keratinocytes: pre-programmed pathways in control of C-Myc and Notch1 prevail over extracellular calcium signals.
AuthorsKolly C, Suter MM, Müller EJ,
JournalJ Invest Dermatol
PubMed ID15854044
So far it was reported that a switch from low to high extracellular calcium induces growth arrest and terminal differentiation in cultured human and mouse keratinocytes. We had observed that both canine and mouse keratinocytes proliferate in high (1.8 mM, respectively, 1.2 mM) or low (0.09 and 0.06 mM) calcium-containing ... More
EpCAM is overexpressed in breast cancer and is a potential target for breast cancer gene therapy.
AuthorsOsta WA, Chen Y, Mikhitarian K, Mitas M, Salem M, Hannun YA, Cole DJ, Gillanders WE,
JournalCancer Res
PubMed ID15313925
EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) is a cell surface molecule that is known to be highly expressed in colon and other epithelial carcinomas. EpCAM is involved in cell-to-cell adhesion and has been the target of antibody therapy in several clinical trials. To assess the value of EpCAM as a novel ... More
Myofibroblast development is characterized by specific cell-cell adherens junctions.
AuthorsHinz B, Pittet P, Smith-Clerc J, Chaponnier C, Meister JJ,
JournalMol Biol Cell
PubMed ID15240821
Myofibroblasts of wound granulation tissue, in contrast to dermal fibroblasts, join stress fibers at sites of cadherin-type intercellular adherens junctions (AJs). However, the function of myofibroblast AJs, their molecular composition, and the mechanisms of their formation are largely unknown. We demonstrate that fibroblasts change cadherin expression from N-cadherin in early ... More