Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
06:54

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells

Published on: October 27, 2020

Erbin-regulated sensitivity of MCF-7 breast cancer cells to TRAIL via ErbB2/AKT/NF-kappaB pathway

Ning Liu1, Jindan Zhang, Jinchun Zhang

  • 1National Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China.

Journal of Biochemistry
|March 5, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Inhibiting Erbin expression increases breast cancer cell sensitivity to TRAIL by affecting the ErbB2/AKT/NF-kappaB pathway. This finding offers potential new strategies for cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Signaling

Background:

  • Erbin expression is down-regulated in Jurkat leukaemia T lymphocytes upon treatment with recombinant soluble tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (rsTRAIL).
  • The role of Erbin and its interaction with ErbB2 in breast cancer cell lines, particularly in TRAIL resistance, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the expression and regulation of Erbin and ErbB2 in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.
  • To determine the effect of Erbin inhibition on TRAIL sensitivity in MCF-7 cells and elucidate the underlying signaling pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.
  • Investigated the modulation of Erbin and ErbB2 expression using the PKCdelta inhibitor rottlerin.
  • Assessed the impact of Erbin expression on TRAIL sensitivity.
  • Analyzed the ErbB2/AKT/NF-kappaB signaling pathway.

Main Results:

  • Erbin and ErbB2 expression in MCF-7 cells were modulated by rottlerin.
  • ErbB2 phosphorylation reduced the affinity of the Erbin-ErbB2 interaction.
  • Inhibiting Erbin expression enhanced MCF-7 cell sensitivity to TRAIL.
  • This sensitization was achieved through the suppression of the ErbB2/AKT/NF-kappaB signaling pathway.

Conclusions:

  • Erbin plays a crucial role in regulating TRAIL sensitivity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
  • Modulating Erbin expression, potentially via the ErbB2/AKT/NF-kappaB pathway, represents a viable strategy to overcome TRAIL resistance in breast cancer.

More Related Videos

Reliably Engineering and Controlling Stable Optogenetic Gene Circuits in Mammalian Cells09:20

Reliably Engineering and Controlling Stable Optogenetic Gene Circuits in Mammalian Cells

Published on: July 6, 2021

Identification of EGFR and RAS Inhibitors using Caenorhabditis elegans08:12

Identification of EGFR and RAS Inhibitors using Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: October 5, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a rapamycin-insensitive companion...
MAPK Signaling Cascades01:07

MAPK Signaling Cascades

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
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...
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR activation may...