Migrating with myosin VI.

摘要

One reason to embark in the analysis of global gene expression differences between normal and cancerous prostate epithelial cells is to determine mechanisms that are responsible for prostate cancer development. In this issue of The American Journal of Pathology, Dunn et al1 identify myosin VI as a gene that is consistently overexpressed in prostate cancer compared with normal epithelium. Previous studies of myosin VI have revealed overexpression in ovarian cancer and a role of myosin VI in cell migration, endo-cytosis, and cell polarity.2? In addition to these cellular processes, which can all be linked to oncogenesis, the study by Dunn et al1 identifies a novel function of myosin VI. They demonstrate that a sharp decrease in myosin VI expression causes global gene expression changes and reduces the ability of prostate cancer cells to grow as colonies in soft agar. Based on this new insight about the role of myosin VI in prostate cancer, we examine here the broader function of myosin VI during prostatecancer development and cancer cell invasion.