title: Interactions between E-cadherin and microRNA deregulation in head and neck cancers: the potential interplay.
abstract: E-cadherin expression in the head and neck epithelium is essential for the morphogenesis and homeostasis of epithelial tissues. The cadherin-mediated cell-cell contacts are required for the anchorage-dependent growth of epithelial cells. Further, survival and proliferation require physical tethering created by proper cell-cell adhesion. Otherwise, the squamous epithelial cells will undergo programmed cell death. Head and neck cancers can escape from anoikis and enter into the epithelial-mesenchymal transition stages via the modulation of E-cadherin expression with epigenetic mechanisms. At epigenetic level, gene expression control is not dependent on the DNA sequence. In the context of E-cadherin regulation in head and neck cancers, 2 major mechanisms including de novo promoter hypermethylation and microRNA dysregulation are most extensively studied. Both of them control E-cadherin expression at transcription level and subsequently hinder the overall E-cadherin protein level in the head and neck cancer cells. Increasing evidence suggested that microRNA mediated E-cadherin expression in the head and neck cancers by directly/indirectly targeting the transcription suppressors of E-cadherin, ZEB1 and ZEB2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Thian-Sze
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Jimmy Yu-Wai
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000074165:Zinc Finger E-box Binding Homeobox 2; D000071799:Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C486307:ZEB1 protein, human; C492363:ZEB2 protein, human; D000074165:Zinc Finger E-box Binding Homeobox 2; D000071799:Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1