Elucidating the Tumor Suppressive Role of SLITs in Maintaining the Basal Cell Niche
Abstract
The research performed over the last twelve months is based on the hypothesis that SLIT/ROBO1 signaling regulates interactions between myoepithelial and luminal epithelial cells, and that loss of this activity results in the destabilization of the basal cell niche. Over the past 12 months, we have extended our analysis on the excess population of stem and progenitor cells discovered in Slit2-/-;Slit3-/- and Robo1-/- mammary glands. We show that SLIT/ROBO1 signaling restrains the proliferation of basal cells, including stem cells, and that loss of this signaling leads to increased transcription of TCF/LEF targets such as Cyclin-D1. We find that SLIT/ROBO1 signaling regulates the small GTPase Rac, possibly through the Abl tyrosine kinase, and that this regulation may link SLIT/ROBO1 to beta-catenin. Our research promises to provide insight into the mechanisms by which normal stem/progenitor cells are regulated, leading to potential insights into how they may be deregulated upon cancerous transformation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA537890
Entities
People
- Lindsay Hinch
Organizations
- University of California, Santa Cruz