Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Phospholipid Mediator Induced Transformation in Three-Dimensional Cultures
Published on: July 27, 2022
A link between two tumorigenic proteins, CD44 and p21WAF1: CD44 increases phorbol ester-induced expression of p21WAF1
Christina Lindner1, Pavel Urbánek, Birgit Pavelka
1Leibniz Institute for Age Research - Fritz Lipmann Institute, Beutenbergstr. 11, 07745 Jena, Germany.
Abstract:
The cell surface glycoprotein CD44 enhances phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA)-induced expression of p21WAF1 by stabilizing its mRNA and enhancing the protein's half-life in several cell lines. Only the plasma membrane-anchored cytoplasmic tail of CD44 and its interacting ezrin, radixin, moesin (ERM) proteins are required for this effect. A mitogen activated kinase (MEK) inhibitor abolishes the action of CD44 on p21. Down-regulation of p21 dramatically decreased anchorage-independence of a cancer cell line, whereas CD44 expression in this background could partially rescue the phenotype.
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
Inhibition of Cdk Activity
Negative Regulator Molecules
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
