αvβ6-Fyn Kinase Promotes Epithelial Phenotype in SYF Cells

The 5-year survival rate for patients with oral cancer remains at 50%, in large part due the high rate of post-treatment recurrence. In this study, we transfected epithelial-specific integrin αvβ6 and Fyn-kinase, a member of the Src-family kinases, into embryonic murine fibroblasts. In oral cancer, expression of αvβ6 is neo-expressed. Using a variety of in vitro assays, including cell migration and multicellular spheroid formation, we determined that these embryonic fibroblasts expressing αvβ6 and Fyn-kinase were able to acquire an epithelial phenotype. This is in direct contrast to human oral SCC, where expression of αvβ6 with Fyn-kinase promotes epithelial to mesenchymal transition. This demonstrates that signaling pathways can be species-specific.