title: Involvement of retrotransposon L1 in stemness and cellular plasticity.
abstract: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as the reverse process, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) is important during embryogenesis. EMT is also involved in cancer invasion and metastasis, and can generate cells with properties similar to those of stem cells. Retrotransposons can rearrange the genome by inserting DNA in new loci, thus inducing mutations. This study examines the gene expression of transcription factors involved in EMT and MET. In the second experimental panel, the gene expression of L1 retrotransposon was studied. L1-open reading frame (ORF) 2 mRNA was found to be expressed both in cancer and cancer stem cells, while L1-ORF1 mRNA was expressed only in cancer cells. The suppression of L1-ORF2 gene expression demonstrated that this retrotransposon might affect EMT in colon cancer stem cells. This study highlights that the EMT process seems to differ between cancer cells and cancer stem cells, and that transposable elements seem to be involved in the process, influencing cellular plasticity.
authors.affiliation: a Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd) , Florina , Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Apostolou
authors.affiliation: a Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd) , Florina , Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toloudi
authors.affiliation: a Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd) , Florina , Greece.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chatziioannou
authors.affiliation: a Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd) , Florina , Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kourtidou
authors.affiliation: a Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd) , Florina , Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mimikakou
authors.affiliation: a Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd) , Florina , Greece.
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vlachou
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory of Molecular Immunobiology, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics , Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus-Dragana , Alexandroupolis , Greece.
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chlichlia
authors.affiliation: a Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd) , Florina , Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papasotiriou
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D000066670:Cell Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C494023:L1 ORF1 protein, human; C494024:L1 ORF2 protein, human; C486780:NANOG protein, human; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; C527782:SOX2 protein, human; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D004720:Endonucleases
keywords: LINE-1; cancer; cancer stem cells; cell plasticity; retrotransposon