title: Oxygen regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition: insights into molecular mechanisms and relevance to disease.
abstract: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a developmentally vital, molecularly complex cellular process by which epithelial cells lose apico-basal polarity and cell-cell contact, become motile, and acquire mesenchymal characteristics. Under pathophysiological conditions EMT has a central role in cancer progression and metastasis, and has been associated with fibrotic disorders. Microenvironmental changes such as alterations in oxygen levels and activation of hypoxic signaling through hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) are emerging as important triggers and modulators of EMT. Recent insights into potential molecular mechanisms underlying oxygen-dependent regulation of this process and their relevance to disease are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, C-3119A, MCN, 1161 21stAvenue, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. volker.haase@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Volker H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Haase
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D016764:Cell Polarity; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000473:pathology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1 / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1; D010100:Oxygen