title: Metastatic colonization requires the repression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition inducer Prrx1.
abstract: The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is required in the embryo for the formation of tissues for which cells originate far from their final destination. Carcinoma cells hijack this program for tumor dissemination. The relevance of the EMT in cancer is still debated because it is unclear how these migratory cells colonize distant tissues to form macrometastases. We show that the homeobox factor Prrx1 is an EMT inducer conferring migratory and invasive properties. The loss of Prrx1 is required for cancer cells to metastasize in vivo, which revert to the epithelial phenotype concomitant with the acquisition of stem cell properties. Thus, unlike the classical EMT transcription factors, Prrx1 uncouples EMT and stemness, and is a biomarker associated with patient survival and lack of metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH, Avda. Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Ocaña
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Córcoles
authors.forename: Angels
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabra
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moreno-Bueno
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Acloque
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barrallo-Gimeno
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cano
authors.forename: M Angela
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nieto
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C082157:PRRX1 protein, human