title: The role of cadherin-mediated adhesion in breast cancer.
abstract: The cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin is expressed on the basolateral surfaces of normal mammary epithelial cells and is lost in a subset of breast cancers. Loss of E-cadherin expression has been postulated to facilitate tumor cell detachment from a primary tumor ultimately leading to metastasis. In this paper, I review the published in vitro data that initially supported this "invasion suppressor" role for E-cadherin as well as more recent in vitro and in vivo data showing that E-cadherin-positive tumor cells can metastasize. I examine other molecules required for E-cadherin function and discuss how defects in the expression or function of these molecules might alter E-cadherin function in E-cadherin-positive tumor cells. For example, loss of expression or function of catenins, intracellular molecules that interact with E-cadherin, can result in the loss of E-cadherin-mediated adhesion and a more invasive phenotype. Altered phosphorylation of E-cadherin or catenins can also influence E-cadherin function. Finally, expression of other cell surface molecules such as mucins may interfere with E-cadherin function. The collective effect of these molecules on the adhesive phenotype of breast cancer cells may be one determinant of metastatic potential.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Mammalian Genes and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. connies@helix.nih.gov
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Sommers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins