title: Ultraviolet radiation stimulates expression of Snail family transcription factors in keratinocytes.
abstract: The related zinc finger transcription factors Slug and Snail modulate epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT), the conversion of sessile epithelial cells into migratory fibroblast-like cells. EMT occurs during development, wound healing, and tumor progression. Growth factors, acting through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, regulate expression of Slug and Snail. Expression of Snail family transcription factors appears to be elevated in UVR-induced murine squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). We report here that ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which activates MAPK cascades, also stimulates Snail and Slug expression in epidermal keratinocytes. UVR exposure transiently elevated Slug and Snail mRNA expression in human keratinocytes in vitro and mouse epidermis in vivo. This induction was mediated, at least in part, through the ERK and p38 MAPK cascades, as pharmacological inhibition of these cascades partially or completely blocked Slug and Snail induction by UVR. On the other hand, UVR induction of Slug and Snail was enhanced by inhibition of JNK. Slug appears to play a functional role in the acute response of keratinocytes to UVR, as UVR induction of keratin 6 in the epidermis of Slug knockout mice was markedly delayed compared to wild-type mice. Slug and Snail are known to regulate molecules important in the cytoskeleton, intercellular adhesion, cell motility, and apoptosis, thus it seems probable that transiently or persistently elevated expression of these factors fosters the progression of UVR-induced SCC.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
authors.forename: Laurie G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Changsun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Newkirk
authors.forename: Jaipriya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parkhani
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Donna F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kusewitt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000528:radiation effects; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; C000604407:SNAI1 protein, human; C000604449:Snai2 protein, mouse; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors