Transcription factors OVOL1 and OVOL2 induce the mesenchymal to epithelial transition in human cancer

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 4;8(10):e76773. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076773. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Cell plasticity regulated by the balance between the mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) and the opposite program, EMT, is critical in the metastatic cascade. Several transcription factors (TFs) are known to regulate EMT, though the mechanisms of MET remain unclear. We demonstrate a novel function of two TFs, OVOL1 and OVOL2, as critical inducers of MET in human cancers. Our findings indicate that the OVOL-TFs control MET through a regulatory feedback loop with EMT-inducing TF ZEB1, and the regulation of mRNA splicing by inducing Epithelial Splicing Regulatory Protein 1 (ESRP1). Using mouse prostate tumor models we show that expression of OVOL-TFs in mesenchymal prostate cancer cells attenuates their metastatic potential. The role of OVOL-TFs as inducers of MET is further supported by expression analyses in 917 cancer cell lines, suggesting their role as crucial regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal cell plasticity in cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Coculture Techniques
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • RNA Splicing
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • OVOL1 protein, human
  • Ovol2 protein, human
  • Transcription Factors