title: Cathepsin B is the driving force of esophageal cell invasion in a fibroblast-dependent manner.
abstract: Esophageal cancer, which frequently exhibits coordinated loss of E-cadherin (Ecad) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) receptor II (TbetaRII), has a high mortality rate. In a three-dimensional organotypic culture model system, esophageal keratinocytes expressing dominant-negative mutant versions of both Ecad and TbetaRII (ECdnT) invade into the underlying matrix embedded with fibroblasts. We also find that cathepsin B induction is necessary for fibroblast-mediated invasion. Furthermore, the ECdnT cells in this physiological context activate fibroblasts through the secretion of TGFbeta1, which, in turn, is activated by cathepsin B. These results suggest that the interplay between the epithelial compartment and the surrounding microenvironment is crucial to invasion into the extracellular matrix.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Surgery and Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. claudia.andl@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Claudia D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Andl
authors.forename: Kelsey M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McCowan
authors.forename: Gillian L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Anil K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rustgi
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D002401:Cathepsin B