title: Potential Dual Role of Activating Transcription Factor 3 in Colorectal Cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a member of the ATF/CREB transcription factor family and has been proposed as a molecular target for cancer therapy. The present study was undertaken in order to investigate whether ATF3 influences cancer-related phenotypes in colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  ATF3 was overexpressed in human colorectal cancer cells and the effects of ATF3 on apoptosis, cell cycle, cell migration and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated. B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) promoter was cloned and used for luciferase assay in cells transfected with control or ATF3 expression vector.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ATF3 down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and promoter activity of the Bcl-2 gene. ATF3 increased collective cell migration and expression of cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) and decreased retinoblastoma (Rb) expression. In addition, ATF3 down-regulated EMT-inducing transcription factors and β-catenin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ATF3 may play a dichotomous role in apoptosis and metastasis in human colorectal cancer cells.
authors: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, U.S.A.
authors: Xiaojing
authors: X
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, U.S.A.
authors: Kui-Jin
authors: KJ
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, U.S.A.
authors: Taekyu
authors: T
authors: Ha
authors: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, U.S.A. slee2000@umd.edu.
authors: Seong-Ho
authors: SH
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D051700:Activating Transcription Factor 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C490449:ATF3 protein, human; D051700:Activating Transcription Factor 3; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Activating transcription factor 3; Bcl-2; apoptosis; colorectal cancer; migration