title: The extracellular matrix protein 1: its molecular interaction and implication in tumor progression.
abstract: The extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) is expressed around blood vessels, which suggest a role for ECM1 in angiogenesis. Recombinant ECM1 stimulates proliferation of cultured endothelial cells and promotes blood vessel formation in the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryos. These observations make ECM1 a possible trigger for angiogenesis, tumor progression and malignancies. Interaction of ECM1 with perlecan, MMP-9 and fibulin-1C/D contributes to this hypothesis. However, the importance of ECM1 in cancer biology has been neglected so far. Nevertheless, a survey of ECM1 expression in different tumors indicated that ECM1, although not tumor specific, is significantly elevated in many malignant epithelial tumors that give rise to metastases, emphasizing its relevance in the cancer process.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sercu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merregaert
mesh_terms: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D018450:Disease Progression; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C490607:ECM1 protein, human; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D051176:beta Catenin; C060820:fibulin; C071927:perlecan; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9