title: Role of Ras signaling in the induction of snail by transforming growth factor-beta.
abstract: The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial morphological event that occurs during the progression of epithelial tumors. EMT can be induced by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in some tumor cells. Here, we demonstrate the molecular mechanism whereby Snail, a key regulator of EMT, is induced by TGF-beta in tumor cells. Snail induction by TGF-beta was highly dependent on cooperation with active Ras signals, and silencing of Ras abolished Snail induction by TGF-beta in pancreatic cancer Panc-1 cells. Transfection of constitutively active Ras into HeLa cells led to induction of Snail by TGF-beta, while representative direct targets of TGF-beta, including Smad7 and PAI-1, were not affected by Ras signaling. Using mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors or Smad3 or Smad2 mutants, we found that phosphorylation at the linker region of Smad2/3 was not required for the induction of Snail by TGF-beta. Taken together, these findings indicate that Ras and TGF-beta-Smad signaling selectively cooperate in the induction of Snail, which occurs in a Smad-dependent manner, but independently of phosphorylation at the linker region of R-Smads by Ras signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 and the Department of Biochemistry, the Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Kana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 and the Department of Biochemistry, the Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 and the Department of Biochemistry, the Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 and the Department of Biochemistry, the Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 and the Department of Biochemistry, the Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan. Electronic address: miyazono@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazono
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 and the Department of Biochemistry, the Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saitoh
mesh_terms: D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051785:Smad Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D051785:Smad Proteins; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)