title: Integrated extracellular matrix signaling in mammary gland development and breast cancer progression.
abstract: Extracellular matrix (ECM), a major component of the cellular microenvironment, plays critical roles in normal tissue morphogenesis and disease progression. Binding of ECM to membrane receptor proteins, such as integrin, discoidin domain receptors, and dystroglycan, elicits biochemical and biomechanical signals that control cellular architecture and gene expression. These ECM signals cooperate with growth factors and hormones to regulate cell migration, differentiation, and transformation. ECM signaling is tightly regulated during normal mammary gland development. Deposition and alignment of fibrillar collagens direct migration and invasion of mammary epithelial cells during branching morphogenesis. Basement membrane proteins are required for polarized acinar morphogenesis and milk protein expression. Deregulation of ECM proteins in the long run is sufficient to promote breast cancer development and progression. Recent studies demonstrate that the integrated biophysical and biochemical signals from ECM and soluble factors are crucial for normal mammary gland development as well as breast cancer progression.
authors.affiliation: Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Jieqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Gaofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trinkle
authors.affiliation: Markey Cancer Center, and Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. ren.xu2010@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology