Journal
ONCOGENE
Volume 31, Issue 20, Pages 2521-2534Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/onc.2011.429
Keywords
TG2; TGF-beta; ovarian cancer; cancer stem cells; epithelial to mesenchymal transition; metastasis
Funding
- US Department of Veterans Affairs
- American Cancer Society
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Tissue transglutaminase (TG2), an enzyme involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis is over-expressed in ovarian carcinomas, where it modulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promotes metastasis. Its regulation in ovarian cancer (OC) remains unexplored. Here, we show that transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, a cytokine involved in tumor dissemination is abundantly secreted in the OC microenvironment and induces TG2 expression and enzymatic activity. This is mediated at transcriptional level by SMADs and by TGF-beta-activated kinase 1-mediated activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B complex. TGF-beta-stimulated OC cells aggregate as spheroids, which enable peritoneal dissemination. We show that TGF-beta-induced TG2 regulates EMT, formation of spheroids and OC metastasis. TG2 knock-down in OC cells decreases the number of cells harboring a cancer stem cell phenotype (CD44+ /CD117+). Furthermore, CD44+ /CD117+ cells isolated from human ovarian tumors express high levels of TG2. In summary, TGF-beta-induced TG2 enhances ovarian tumor metastasis by inducing EMT and a cancer stem cell phenotype. Oncogene (2012) 31, 2521-2534; doi:10.1038/onc.2011.429; published online 3 October 2011
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available