Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
Published on: October 27, 2020
Molecular mechanisms controlling E-cadherin expression in breast cancer
Somesh Baranwal1, Suresh K Alahari
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Abstract:
Disruption of cell-cell adhesion, which is essential for the maintenance of epithelial plasticity and is mediated by a class of proteins called cadherins, is an initial event in the progression of cancer. Cadherins are Ca(2+)-dependent transmembrane proteins that are associated with actin via other cytoplasmic proteins. Disruption of cell-cell adhesion during cancer progression is an important event during cancer initiation and metastasis. E-cadherin, one of the most widely studied tumor suppressors in breast cancer, belongs to a family of calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules. Various signaling molecules and transcription factors regulate the expression of E-cadherin. Loss of E-cadherin has been reported to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition in several cancers. This review highlights recent advances in defining the mechanisms that regulate E-cadherin expression in breast cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Cadherins in Tissue Organization
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Structure of Cadherins
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
Master Transcription Regulators

