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TACC3 is essential for EGF-mediated EMT in cervical cancer

Geun-Hyoung Ha1, Jung-Lye Kim, Eun-Kyoung Breuer

  • 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA.

Plos One
|August 13, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Transforming acidic coiled-coil protein 3 (TACC3) drives epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cervical cancer. Targeting TACC3 may offer a new strategy for treating cancers driven by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Transforming acidic coiled-coil protein 3 (TACC3) is implicated in mitosis and deregulated in human cancers.
  • Previous research suggests TACC3's role in cervical cancer progression and chemoresistance, potentially inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via PI3K/Akt and ERK pathways.
  • The upstream regulation and specific function of TACC3 in cervical cancer-associated EMT remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the upstream mechanisms regulating TACC3 in cervical cancer.
  • To elucidate the role of TACC3 in epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced EMT in cervical cancer.
  • To assess the functional and clinical significance of TACC3 in cervical cancer progression.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed TACC3 expression in cervical cancer tissues.
  • Investigated TACC3 induction by EGF and its dependence on EGF receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase activity.
  • Utilized TACC3 depletion (e.g., siRNA) to assess its necessity in EGF-mediated EMT.
  • Examined the correlation between TACC3 and Snail expression in cervical cancer.

Main Results:

  • TACC3 is overexpressed in cervical cancer and its expression is induced by EGF in an EGFR-dependent manner.
  • Depletion of TACC3 abrogates EGF-induced EMT, establishing TACC3 as a requirement for this process.
  • TACC3 expression positively correlates with Snail, a key EMT regulator, in cervical cancer specimens.

Conclusions:

  • TACC3 plays a critical role in mediating EGF/EGFR-driven EMT in cervical cancer.
  • TACC3 is a novel functional component in the EGF-induced EMT pathway.
  • Targeting TACC3 presents a potential therapeutic strategy for cervical cancers associated with EGF/EGFR signaling.

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