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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
10:37
Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: August 27, 2013
Notch promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition during cardiac development and oncogenic transformation
Luika A Timmerman1, Joaquín Grego-Bessa, Angel Raya
1University of California Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California 94115, USA.
Genes & Development
|January 1, 2004
Summary
Notch signaling promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by inducing Snail, crucial for embryonic development and cancer metastasis. This pathway
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cancer Biology
- Cell Signaling
Background:
- Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is vital for embryogenesis and tumor metastasis.
- The Notch signaling pathway regulates cell fate and its aberrant activation is oncogenic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Notch signaling in promoting EMT during cardiac development and oncogenic transformation.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which Notch influences EMT.
Main Methods:
- Utilized zebrafish and immortalized endothelial cell models.
- Examined gene expression of Snail and VE-cadherin.
- Assessed cardiac valve development and cellular transformation.
Main Results:
- Notch activity transcriptionally induces Snail, a key EMT mediator.
- Notch signaling is essential for cardiac valvular EMT and valve formation.
- Ectopic Notch activation in endothelial cells induces EMT and oncogenic transformation.
Conclusions:
- Notch signaling plays a fundamental role in EMT during both development and cancer.
- Notch-induced Snail expression is a conserved mechanism for EMT.
- Reactivation of Notch signaling may be involved in tumor metastasis.
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