Normal Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition as a Model for Studying Metastatic Onset

摘要

Genes and signaling pathways implicated in EMT and the invasiveness of breast cancers include FGF, Notch and T-box and Ets family transcription factors. One goal of this research was to examine the relationship between Tbx2/3, which is implicated in breast cancer, and EMT. Tbx2/3, was cloned and characterized. A polyclonal antibody was generated and functional assays performed to determine the role of Tbx2/3 during development and to link these observations to the tumorigenesis observed in breast cancer patients with amplifications of chromosome region 17q23 containing the Tbx2 locus. FGF signaling was also further examined during this funding period but the results of these studies were incomplete. Functional characterization of Ets showed that it is activated by the ras pathway activates and that activated Ets is involved in the specification events that are necessary for mesoderm to undergo EMT in the sea urchin.