Adherens junction proteins in tumour progression.
The loss of epithelial differentiation in carcinomas, which is accompanied by higher mobility and invasiveness of the tumour cells, is often a consequence of reduced intercellular adhesion. The primary cause of the "scattering" of cells in invasive carcinomas appears to be a disturbance of the integrity of intercellular junctions, often involving the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. Permanent and transient molecular mechanisms can lead to the impairment of junction integrity of epithelial cells and thus to the progression of carcinomas towards a more invasive state. These include downregulation of E-cadherin expression and interaction between the adherens junction protein beta-catenin and the tumour suppressor gene product APC.
Birchmeier
W
W
Max-Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin.
Hülsken
J
J
Behrens
J
J
D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin
D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin