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Claudin-1 promotes TNF-α-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migration in colorectal adenocarcinoma cells

Journal Article · · Experimental Cell Research
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3];  [3]
  1. Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 (United States)
  2. Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68022 (United States)
  3. From the Department of Veterans Affairs, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68022 (United States)

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important mechanism in cancer progression and malignancy including colorectal cancer (CRC). Importantly, inflammatory mediators are critical constituents of the local tumor environment and an intimate link between CRC progression and inflammation is now validated. We and others have reported key role of the deregulated claudin-1 expression in colon carcinogenesis including colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC). However, the causal association between claudin-1 expression and inflammation-induced colon cancer progression remains unclear. Here we demonstrate, TNF-α, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, regulates claudin-1 to modulate epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration in colon adenocarcinoma cells. Importantly, colon cancer cells cultured in the presence of TNF-α (10 ng/ml), demonstrated a sharp decrease in E-cadherin expression and an increase in vimentin expression (versus control cells). Interestingly, TNF-α treatment also upregulated (and delocalized) claudin-1 expression in a time-dependent manner accompanied by increase in proliferation and wound healing. Furthermore, similar to our previous observation that claudin-1 overexpression in CRC cells induces ERK1/2 and Src- activation, signaling associated with colon cancer cell survival and transformation, TNF-α-treatment induced upregulation of phospho-ERK1/2 and -Src expression. The shRNA-mediated inhibition of claudin-1 expression largely abrogated the TNF-α-induced changes in EMT, proliferation, migration, p-Erk and p-Src expression. Taken together, our data demonstrate TNF-α mediated regulation of claudin-1 and tumorigenic abilities of colon cancer cells and highlights a key role of deregulated claudin-1 expression in inflammation-induced colorectal cancer growth and progression, through the regulation of the ERK and Src-signaling.

OSTI ID:
22649787
Journal Information:
Experimental Cell Research, Journal Name: Experimental Cell Research Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 349; ISSN 0014-4827; ISSN ECREAL
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English