title: CD43 promotes cells transformation by preventing merlin-mediated contact inhibition of growth.
abstract: In normal tissues, strict control of tissue size is achieved by regulating cell numbers. The mechanism that controls total cell number is known as contact inhibition of growth and it depends on the NF2/Merlin pathway. Negative regulation of this pathway by deleterious mutations or by oncogenes results in cell transformation and tumor progression. Here we provide evidence that the CD43 sialomucin cooperates with oncogenic signals to promote cell transformation by abrogating the contact inhibition of growth through a molecular mechanism that involves AKT-dependent Merlin phosphorylation and degradation. Accordingly, inhibition of endogenous CD43 expression by RNA interference in lung, cervix and colon human cancer cells impaired tumor growth in vivo. These data underscore a previously unidentified role for CD43 in non-hematopoietic tumor progression.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Nohemi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Camacho-Concha
authors.forename: Amiel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olivos-Ortiz
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nuñez-Rivera
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedroza-Saavedra
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gutierrez-Xicotencatl
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rosenstein
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pedraza-Alva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000235:genetics; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003260:Contact Inhibition / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D051917:Leukosialin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D025581:Neurofibromin 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D051917:Leukosialin; D025581:Neurofibromin 2