The Transcription Factor <i>Elf3</i> Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition
The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) are two critical biological processes that are involved in both physiological events such as embryogenesis and development and also pathological events such as tumorigenesis. They present with dramatic...
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MDPI AG
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Cells |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/8/8/858 |
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| author | Burcu Sengez Ilkin Aygün Huma Shehwana Neslihan Toyran Sanem Tercan Avci Ozlen Konu Marc P. Stemmler Hani Alotaibi |
| author_facet | Burcu Sengez Ilkin Aygün Huma Shehwana Neslihan Toyran Sanem Tercan Avci Ozlen Konu Marc P. Stemmler Hani Alotaibi |
| author_sort | Burcu Sengez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) are two critical biological processes that are involved in both physiological events such as embryogenesis and development and also pathological events such as tumorigenesis. They present with dramatic changes in cellular morphology and gene expression exhibiting acute changes in E-cadherin expression. Despite the comprehensive understanding of EMT, the regulation of MET is far from being understood. To find novel regulators of MET, we hypothesized that such factors would correlate with <i>Cdh1</i> expression. Bioinformatics examination of several expression profiles suggested <i>Elf3</i> as a strong candidate. Depletion of <i>Elf3</i> at the onset of MET severely impaired the progression to the epithelial state. This MET defect was explained, in part, by the absence of E-cadherin at the plasma membrane. Moreover, during MET, ELF3 interacts with the <i>Grhl3</i> promoter and activates its expression. Our findings present novel insights into the regulation of MET and reveal ELF3 as an indispensable guardian of the epithelial state. A better understanding of MET will, eventually, lead to better management of metastatic cancers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:07:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e73693444464b47b4435e4f8d0cf6af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:07:25Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e73693444464b47b4435e4f8d0cf6af2023-09-03T03:26:14ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092019-08-018885810.3390/cells8080858cells8080858The Transcription Factor <i>Elf3</i> Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial TransitionBurcu Sengez0Ilkin Aygün1Huma Shehwana2Neslihan Toyran3Sanem Tercan Avci4Ozlen Konu5Marc P. Stemmler6Hani Alotaibi7Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, 35340 Izmir, TurkeyIzmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, 35340 Izmir, TurkeyDepartment of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi 46000, PakistanVocational School of Health Services, Dokuz Eylül University, 35340 Izmir, TurkeyIzmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, 35340 Izmir, TurkeyDepartment of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, TurkeyDepartment of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, D-91054 Erlangen, GermanyIzmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, 35340 Izmir, TurkeyThe epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) are two critical biological processes that are involved in both physiological events such as embryogenesis and development and also pathological events such as tumorigenesis. They present with dramatic changes in cellular morphology and gene expression exhibiting acute changes in E-cadherin expression. Despite the comprehensive understanding of EMT, the regulation of MET is far from being understood. To find novel regulators of MET, we hypothesized that such factors would correlate with <i>Cdh1</i> expression. Bioinformatics examination of several expression profiles suggested <i>Elf3</i> as a strong candidate. Depletion of <i>Elf3</i> at the onset of MET severely impaired the progression to the epithelial state. This MET defect was explained, in part, by the absence of E-cadherin at the plasma membrane. Moreover, during MET, ELF3 interacts with the <i>Grhl3</i> promoter and activates its expression. Our findings present novel insights into the regulation of MET and reveal ELF3 as an indispensable guardian of the epithelial state. A better understanding of MET will, eventually, lead to better management of metastatic cancers.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/8/8/858mesenchymal to epithelial transition<i>Elf3</i><i>Grhl3</i>Cadherins |
| spellingShingle | Burcu Sengez Ilkin Aygün Huma Shehwana Neslihan Toyran Sanem Tercan Avci Ozlen Konu Marc P. Stemmler Hani Alotaibi The Transcription Factor <i>Elf3</i> Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition Cells mesenchymal to epithelial transition <i>Elf3</i> <i>Grhl3</i> Cadherins |
| title | The Transcription Factor <i>Elf3</i> Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition |
| title_full | The Transcription Factor <i>Elf3</i> Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition |
| title_fullStr | The Transcription Factor <i>Elf3</i> Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Transcription Factor <i>Elf3</i> Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition |
| title_short | The Transcription Factor <i>Elf3</i> Is Essential for a Successful Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition |
| title_sort | transcription factor i elf3 i is essential for a successful mesenchymal to epithelial transition |
| topic | mesenchymal to epithelial transition <i>Elf3</i> <i>Grhl3</i> Cadherins |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/8/8/858 |
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