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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: August 27, 2013
Discoidin domain receptor 2 is a critical regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition
Logan A Walsh1, Ali Nawshad, Damian Medici
1Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Abstract:
Discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) is a collagen receptor that is expressed during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a cellular transformation that mediates many stages of embryonic development and disease. However, the functional significance of this receptor in EMT is unknown. Here we show that Transforming Growth Factor-beta1 (TGF-β1), a common stimulator of EMT, promotes increased expression of type I collagen and DDR2. Inhibiting expression of COL1A1 or DDR2 with siRNA is sufficient to perturb activity of the NF-κB and LEF-1 transcription factors and to inhibit EMT and cell migration induced by TGF-β1. Furthermore, knockdown of DDR2 expression with siRNA inhibits EMT directly induced by type I collagen. These data establish a critical role for type I collagen-dependent DDR2 signaling in the regulation of EMT.
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