Expression of Inappropriate Cadherins in Human Breast Carcinomas
Abstract
E-cadherin is a transmembrane glycoprotein that mediates calcium-dependent, homotypic cell-cell adhesion and plays a role in maintaining the normal phenotype of epithelial cells. Decreased expression of E-cadherin has been correlated with increased invasiveness of breast cancer. In other systems, inappropriate expression of a non-epithelial cadherin, such as N-cadherin, by an epithelial cell has been shown to down-regulate E-cadherin expression and to contribute to a cell motility. During the first 2 years of this study we showed that N-cadherin promotes cell motility and invasion in breast cancer cells; that decreased expression of E-cadherin does not necessarily correlate with invasion in breast cancer cells; that forced expression of E-cadherin in invasive, N-cadherin positive cells does not reduce their motility or invasive capacity; that forced expression of N-cadherin in non-invasive, E-cadherin-positive cells produces an invasive cell even though these cells continue to express high levels of E-cadherin; and that N-cadherin-dependent motility may be mediated by fibroblast growth factor receptor signaling. This year we report that the extracellular domain of N-cadherin is responsible for this activity and map the domain of N-cadherin that is active in mediating cell motility to a 70 amino acid portion of extracellular repeat 4.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADB267138
Entities
People
- Margaret J. Wheelock
Organizations
- University of Toledo