Abstract
The 5-year survival rate is very low when breast cancer becomes metastatic. The metastatic process is governed by a network of molecules of which SLUG is known to play a major role as a regulator of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Prostate-derived ETS factor (PDEF) has been proposed as a tumor suppressor, possibly through inhibition of invasion and metastasis; therefore, understanding the mechanism of PDEF regulation may help to better understand its role in breast cancer progression. This study shows for the first time that the transcription factor SLUG is a direct target of PDEF in breast cancer. We show that the expression of PDEF is able to suppress/dampen EMT through the negative regulation of SLUG. In addition, we show that PDEF is also able to regulate downstream targets of SLUG, namely E-cadherin, in both SLUG-dependent and -independent manners, suggesting a critical role for PDEF in regulating EMT.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 120-129 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Genes and Cancer |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1 2011 |
Keywords
- Breast cancer
- ETS transcription factors
- Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
- PDEF
- SLUG
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Genetics
- Cancer Research