Connecting estrogen receptor function, transcriptional repression, and E-cadherin expression in breast cancer.
A recent paper in Cell (Fujita et al., 2003) demonstrates that MTA3, a novel component of the Mi-2/NuRD transcriptional repression complex, is an estrogen receptor-regulated inhibitor of the Snail zinc finger transcription factor in breast cancer. Given the important role of Snail in repressing E-cadherin transcription and the function of E-cadherin as a tumor suppressor protein and regulator of epithelial architecture, the findings offer potentially significant new insights into cancer pathogenesis.
Division of Molecular Medicine and Genetics and the Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. fearon@umich.edu
Eric R
ER
Fearon
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D015820:Cadherins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C486657:MTA3 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors