Ets-1 expression promotes epithelial cell transformation by inducing migration, invasion and anchorage-independent growth.
Ets-1 is the prototype of the family of ETS transcription factors. In human tumors, Ets-1 is expressed in endothelial cells and fibroblasts of the tumor stroma and is proposed to play a role in tumor vascularization and invasion by upregulating expression of matrix-degrading proteases. In human carcinomas, Ets-1 is also expressed by neoplastic cells, but little is known about the functional implications of this observation. We have addressed the role of Ets-1 in epithelial HeLa tumor cells by selecting stably Ets-1 over and underexpressing HeLa cells. Ets-1 expression increases the transformed phenotype of HeLa cells, by promoting cell migration, invasion and anchorage-independent growth, while Ets-1 downregulation reduces cell attachment. In correlation with these results, Ets-1 upregulation increases integrinbeta2 expression but not that of other integrins. These results suggest that, in addition to its role in the tumor stroma, Ets-1 may also promote tumor development and progression by increasing neoplastic transformation.
Hahne
Jens Claus
JC
Institute of Pathology, University of Bonn, PO Box 2120, 53011 Bonn, Germany.
Okuducu
Ali Fuat
AF
Kaminski
Annette
A
Florin
Alexandra
A
Soncin
Fabrice
F
Wernert
Nicolas
N
D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010641:Phenotype; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology*; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology*
C494041:ETS1 protein, human; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D014157:Transcription Factors