Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

In vitro Organoid Culture of Primary Mouse Colon Tumors
07:33

In vitro Organoid Culture of Primary Mouse Colon Tumors

Published on: May 17, 2013

A role for Hath1, a bHLH transcription factor, in colon adenocarcinoma

Ching Ching Leow1, Paul Polakis, Wei-Qiang Gao

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA. ching2@gene.com

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|December 31, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Goblet cell loss in colon cancer is linked to reduced Hath1 expression. Restoring Hath1 inhibits colon cancer cell growth and may involve MUC2 regulation and Wnt signaling pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Colon adenocarcinomas frequently show reduced goblet cells, crucial for intestinal secretion.
  • Math1 (a transcription factor) is vital for intestinal secretory cell development, including goblet cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Hath1, the human Math1 orthologue, in colon cancer.
  • To determine if Hath1 expression impacts colon cancer cell proliferation and growth.

Main Methods:

  • Examined Hath1 expression in colon tumor samples and cell lines.
  • Assessed the effect of Hath1 expression on HT29 colon cancer cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth in vitro and in vivo.
  • Investigated Hath1's molecular targets, including MUC2 and Wnt signaling.

Main Results:

  • Hath1 expression is significantly decreased in colon tumors and cancer cell lines.
  • Reintroducing Hath1 into HT29 cells inhibited proliferation and anchorage-independent growth.
  • Hath1 may regulate MUC2 expression and is potentially repressed by Wnt signaling.

Conclusions:

  • Hath1 is a critical factor in colon cancer, with its loss correlating with tumor progression.
  • Hath1 acts as a tumor suppressor in colon cancer, potentially through MUC2 regulation.
  • Wnt signaling pathway activation may contribute to Hath1 repression in colon tumorigenesis.

Related Concept Videos

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal01:12

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
General Transcription Factors01:30

General Transcription Factors

Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
Cadherins in Tissue Organization01:19

Cadherins in Tissue Organization

The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway02:33

Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

The Hedgehog gene (Hh) was first discovered due to its control of the growth of disorganized, hair-like bristles phenotype in Drosophila, much like hedgehog spines. Hh plays a crucial role in the development of organs and the maintenance of homeostasis in both invertebrates and vertebrates. However, while Drosophila has only one Hh protein, mammals have multiple functional Hedgehog proteins - Sonic (Shh), Desert (Dhh), and Indian Hedgehog (Ihh). All of these homologous proteins have adapted to...
Transcription Factors02:16

Transcription Factors

Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...