YAP参与调控细胞上皮-间充质转化的研究进展

上皮-间充质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)是上皮来源细胞在各种理化因素作用下经历表型转化获得间充质样细胞表型的过程.研究表明,有多种信号分子参与EMT的发生,并在胚胎发育、器官损伤修复和肿瘤的发生发展过程中起着关键作用.Yes相关蛋白(yes-associated protein,YAP)作为Hippo信号通路的下游效应分子,被广泛报道参与EMT的进程,调控多种基因的表达,起到调节细胞增殖、凋亡、器官发育和修复等作用.最新研究表明,YAP活性的变化直接介导肿瘤细胞的迁移和侵袭等能力的变化,而这些变化都伴随着EMT的发生.因此,YAP蛋白跟EMT的发生密切相关.本文就近年来关于YAP调控组织发育、器官纤维化及在肿瘤发生发展中的作用,以及相关分子机制的研究进行综述,并将阐明其与EMT之间的相互关系,以期为EMT的研究提供新的视角,进而为相关疾病的治疗提供新的分子靶点和诊断治疗策略.     

上皮间质转化在肿瘤侵袭转移中的研究进展

上皮-间质转化（epithelial-mesenchymal transitions,EMT）是上皮细胞向间质细胞转化的现象,不仅参与胚胎发育和正常生理,还参与许多病理过程。同样EMT也参与肿瘤的发生与发展,尤其在促进肿瘤侵袭转移中发挥着重要作用。研究表明,肿瘤细胞借助EMT方式增强肿瘤细胞迁移和运动能力,促进肿瘤的侵袭与转移。在肿瘤侵袭转移历程中,关于EMT发生的分子调控机制研究已取得了良好的进展,但其详细机制仍然不是十分清楚。本文主要介绍生长因子、转录因子、miRNAs、甲基化及其他调控因子在肿瘤EMT中的调控功能,进一步综述EMT在肿瘤侵袭转移中的作用。     

上皮间质转化与干细胞自我更新和分化

上皮间质转化（epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT）是指上皮细胞失去连接和极性转变为间质细胞的过程,这一现象普遍存在于胚胎发育、创伤愈合、器官纤维化以及肿瘤转移。在胚胎早期发育和晚期发育过程,例如着床、原肠运动、心血管发育等事件中有EMT和间质上皮转化（mesenchymal-epithelial transition,MET）的参与。EMT和MET参与调控干细胞表型变化、细胞迁移运动,是细胞差异分化和三维组织构建的重要机制。EMT的重要标志是细胞黏附分子表达由E-钙黏着蛋白(E-cadherin)向N-钙黏着蛋白(N-cadherin)转换。E-钙黏着蛋白通过与β-联蛋白、p120-联蛋白、α-联蛋白联合,影响Wnt、小GTP酶超家族等信号通路活化,调控细胞骨架运动。TGFβ、Notch、Wnt、BMP、FGF等信号通路,Snail、Twist、Zeb等转录因子,联合表观修饰酶,协同参与EMT的启动和调控。体外研究模型表明,E-钙黏着蛋白参与干细胞自我更新;而体细胞重编程可视为MET,重编程因子辅助体细胞获得E 钙黏着蛋白表达。体外研究发现,EMT及相关分子（例如E-钙黏着蛋白、Snail、Twist、Zeb等）参与了早期三胚层分化及晚期特定细胞类型的形成。对EMT机制的研究有助于理解和改善干细胞体外诱导分化效率,促进类器官的构建和诱导。     

EZH2在心脏与血管发育中的作用

Zeste基因增强子人类同源物2(enhancer of zeste homolog 2, EZH2)是多梳蛋白抑制复合物2(polycomb repressive complex 2, PRC2)的主要元件之一，利用组蛋白甲基化酶活性发挥经典作用，抑制靶基因的表达。此外，EZH2通过甲基化其他蛋白，作为蛋白支架分子募集转录相关分子介导转录激活，与lncRNA及miRNA相互作用等非经典途径调控各项生命活动，与干细胞分化和组织器官发育关系密切。EZH2及其功能相关分子在心脏发育、血管发生等过程中发挥着至关重要的作用。靶向敲除小鼠心脏Ezh2基因会影响心肌组织及内皮源性组织的正常发育，造成广泛性的心脏发育缺陷。EZH2参与调控正常组织和肿瘤组织的血管生成，维持新生血管完整性，并参与调控内皮间质化和内皮造血转化。本文探讨了EZH2在心脏和血管发生领域的影响效应、调控机制，及其与相关疾病的关系。     

TWIST1蛋白与肿瘤

Twist1(人类直系同源物为TWIST1)蛋白是一种进化上高度保守的碱性螺旋-环-螺旋(basic helix-loop-helix,bHLH)转录因子,最初在果蝇胚胎发育过程中发现其具有重要作用,Twist1基因突变引起头面部和肢体畸形。近年来研究表明,Twist1在多种恶性肿瘤中高表达,具有诱导上皮-间质转化,促进细胞迁移、侵袭,增强化疗药物抗性等生物学功能。本文主要对Twist1蛋白的结构特征、基因表达调控与蛋白修饰调控机制及其在肿瘤发生发展中的作用进行综述,为其作为潜在的药物靶点及癌症治疗研究提供新的启示。     

MiRNA对上皮-间质转化的调控作用

上皮-间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)是胚胎发育、组织分化和器官形成的重要生理过程,也是慢性炎症、器官纤维化和癌症转移等疾病的重要病理过程。近年来发现多种微RNA(microRNA,miRNA)通过靶向EMT相关蛋白,例如E-钙粘蛋白(E-cadherin)、波形蛋白(Vimentin)、Snail、ZEB和Twist等转录因子来调控EMT的发生和发展,这些例子揭示了EMT分子机制的"冰山一角",一个庞大的EMT转录后调控网络正在被发现。本文总结了miRNA对EMT相关蛋白的调控作用,并对miRNA-EMT调控网络的后续研究进行了讨论。     

JunD的结构功能特征及其在肿瘤发展中的作用

JunD是一种属于多功能激活剂蛋白-1（activating protein-1,AP-1) 家族的转录因子,可以激活或抑制多种靶基因的表达.在生长发育过程中,在各种细胞类型中都呈现出组成性表达.近20年的临床数据及分子生物学研究表明,JunD蛋白的功能受多个复杂过程调控,包括转录控制、转录后调节、蛋白质翻译后修饰及蛋白-蛋白相互作用等.JunD基因表达的精细调控及JunD蛋白与其它蛋白之间的相互作用可调节细胞增殖、分化和凋亡等过程.JunD蛋白活性异常会导致肿瘤、代谢及病毒类疾病的发生.JunD蛋白的转录激活及抑制受1个复杂调控网络调控,在这个网络调节下,JunD蛋白在细胞的生长调控过程中发挥重要作用.本文就JunD基因表达的调控机制及其与肿瘤之间关系的最新研究进展做一综述.     

TWIST1蛋白与肿瘤北大核心CSCD

Twist1(人类直系同源物为TWIST1)蛋白是一种进化上高度保守的碱性螺旋-环-螺旋(basic helix-loop-helix,bHLH)转录因子,最初在果蝇胚胎发育过程中发现其具有重要作用,Twist1基因突变引起头面部和肢体畸形。近年来研究表明,Twist1在多种恶性肿瘤中高表达,具有诱导上皮-间质转化,促进细胞迁移、侵袭,增强化疗药物抗性等生物学功能。本文主要对Twist1蛋白的结构特征、基因表达调控与蛋白修饰调控机制及其在肿瘤发生发展中的作用进行综述,为其作为潜在的药物靶点及癌症治疗研究提供新的启示。     

OVOL2在发育和肿瘤发生中作用机制的研究进展

OVOL2在神经管、心脏、胎盘和乳腺等的发育过程中发挥重要作用,近年来研究表明OVOL2参与调控肿瘤的发生发展。OVOL2通过抑制上皮–间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)相关基因(ZEB1、SLUG、TWIST1等)的表达和WNT、TGF-β信号通路,从而抑制癌细胞的侵袭和转移,其表达水平与癌症患者的总生存率呈正相关。研究发现,中等程度的EMT与癌细胞干性相关,OVOL2除了通过EMT调控癌细胞干性之外,可能还存在其他调控机制。因此,OVOL2是治疗恶性肿瘤的一个潜在靶点,恢复或提高OVOL2的表达水平可为治疗某些恶性肿瘤提供新策略。     

Twist1在肿瘤发生中的作用

Twist1作为bHLH转录因子起初被发现在胚胎发育中起关键作用. 最近10年研究证明,它在多种癌的发生、发展中发挥重要作用. 本文结合多种信号通路（如MAPK、STAT、NF κB）以及与其基因表达调控相关的转录因子、翻译后修饰、microRNA等综述Twist1表达调节. 同时,根据其参与癌的发展及作用方式,结合细胞间联系、肿瘤微环境、侵袭和迁移、化疗抗性、上皮 间质转化（EMT）、细胞衰老与程序性死亡、肿瘤干细胞等,概括Twist1在肿瘤发生中的作用.     

Promotion of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis through matrix metalloproteinase activation by epithelial‐mesenchymal transition regulator Twist1

E‐cadherin loss is a key biological mechanism in tumour invasion. As a main regulator of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanism‐mediated invasion and metastasis, Twist1 plays an important role through its regulation of E‐cadherin expression. However, whether or not Twist2 has the same function in tumour metastasis remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the expressions and different roles of Twist1 and Twist2 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expressions of Twist1 and Twist2 in HCC tissue were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. The role of Twist1 and Twist2 in invasiveness was also evaluated in vitro by using HCC cell lines. Twist1 nuclear overexpression is found to be correlated with HCC metastasis, and its expression is negatively correlated with E‐cadherin expression in human tissue. Twist2, a Twist1 homology protein, only expresses in the cytoplasm and shows no significant correlation with HCC metastasis. By ectopic transfection of Twist1 and Twist2 into the HCC cells, HepG2 and PLC, Twist1 is able to down‐regulate E‐cadherin expression and promote matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activation, specifically in MMP2 and MMP9. In functional assays, Twist1 is found to promote invasion in HepG2 and PLC cells, but the invasion ability of the groups is not affected Twist2. Our findings indicate that Twist1 induces HCC invasion via increased activity in MMPs, leading to poor clinical prognoses. The results of this study also demonstrate a novel cogitation in Twist2, which has no effect on HCC invasion and metastasis. Twist1 may contribute to HCC invasion and metastasis and may be used as a novel therapeutic target for the inhibition of HCC metastasis.     

HBx‐dependent activation of twist mediates STAT3 control of epithelium‐mesenchymal transition of liver cells

This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of liver cells with HBx expression on epithelium–mesenchymal transition (EMT) change using Western blot analysis and Transwell assay to assess EMT‐related protein expression and cell mobility. Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay were used to test the Twist promoter containing different STAT3 binding loci. Electrophoretic mobility band‐shift assay (EMSA) was used to detect Twist activity. Results showed that HBx expression affected the EMT‐related protein expression and the cell mobility of liver cancer cells (MHCC97) and liver cells (HL‐7702) in vitro or in vivo. These proteins exhibited reversed expression to a certain extent after Twist inhibition. In addition, the wound‐healing capability and the mobility of HL‐7702/HBx cells were lower than those treated with control‐siRNA. The expressions of p‐STAT3 and Twist were positively correlated with HBx expression. The second STAT‐3 binding sequence in the Twist promoter region of the HL‐7702/HBx cells was the first locus. Twist activity in the HL‐7702/HBx2 cells was higher than that in HL‐7702 cells. Moreover, the activity decreased when the cells were treated with HBx‐siRNA to inhibit HBx expression, or with STAT3 inhibitor to reduce STAT3 activation. Therefore, Twist is essential for the regulation of the mobility of liver cells with HBx expression. HBx activates the Twist promoter by activating STAT3 and promotes EMT occurrence in liver cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 114: 1097–1104, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

CRH suppressed TGFβ1-induced Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition via induction of E-cadherin in breast cancer cells

Since its discovery in biopsies from breast cancer patients, the effect of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) on carcinoma progression is still unclear. Transforming growth factorβ1 (TGFβ1) promotes Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and induces Snail1 and Twist1 expressions. Loss of epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) mainly repressed by Snail1 and Twist1, has been considered as hallmark of Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 were used to investigate the effect of CRH on TGFβ1-induced EMT by transwell chamber. And HEK293 cells were transiently transfected with CRHR1 or CRHR2 to explore the definite effects of CRH receptor. We reported that CRH inhibited migration of human breast cancer cells through downregulation of Snail1 and Twist1, and subsequent upregulation of E-cadherin. CRH inhibited TGFβ1-mediated migration of MCF-7 via both CRHR1 and CRHR2 while this inhibition in MDA-MB-231 was mainly via CRHR2. Ectopic re-expression of CRHR1 or CRHR2 respectively in HEK293 cells increased E-cadherin expression after CRH stimulation. Furthermore, CRH repressed expression of mesenchymal marker, N-cadherin and induced expression of Occludin, inhibiting EMT in MCF-7 & MDA-MB-231. Our results suggest that CRH may function as a tumor suppressor, at least partly by regulating TGFβ1-mediated EMT. These results may contribute to uncovering the effect of CRH in breast tumorigenesis and progression.