Snail induces epithelial cell extrusion by regulating RhoA contractile signaling and cell-matrix adhesion
- Author(s)
- Wee, K; Hediyeh-Zadeh, S; Duszyc, K; Verma, S; Nanavati, B; Khare, S; Varma, A; Daly, RJ; Yap, AS; Davis, MJ; Budnar, S;
- Journal Title
- Journal of Cell Science
- Publication Type
- Journal epub ahead of print
- Abstract
- Cell extrusion is a morphogenetic process that is implicated in epithelial homeostasis and elicited by stimuli ranging from apoptosis to oncogenic transformation. To explore if the morphogenetic transcription factor, Snail (SNAI1), induces extrusion, we inducibly expressed a stabilized Snail(6SA) transgene in confluent MCF-7 monolayers. When expressed in small clusters (<3 cells) within otherwise wild-type confluent monolayers, Snail(6SA) expression induced apical cell extrusion. In contrast, larger clusters or homogenous cultures of Snail(6SA) cells did not show enhanced apical extrusion, but eventually displayed sporadic basal delamination. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that Snail(6SA) did not substantively alter the balance of epithelial: mesenchymal genes. However, we identified a transcriptional network that led to upregulated RhoA signalling and cortical contractility in Snail(6SA) expressing cells. Enhanced contractility was necessary, but not sufficient, to drive extrusion, suggesting that it collaborates with other factors. Indeed, we found that the transcriptional downregulation of cell-matrix adhesion cooperates with contractility to mediate basal delamination. This provides a pathway for Snail to influence epithelial morphogenesis independently of classic Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition.
- Publisher
- COB
- Research Division(s)
- Bioinformatics
- PubMed ID
- 32467325
- Publisher's Version
- https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.235622
- Terms of Use/Rights Notice
- Refer to copyright notice on published article.
Creation Date: 2020-06-03 09:37:47
Last Modified: 2020-06-03 09:53:38