Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Active ERK in the C. elegans Germline
Published on: November 29, 2016
Tropomodulin 3 promotes liver cancer progression by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway
Canguang Jin1, Zhikang Chen1, Wei Shi2
1Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Tropomodulin 3 (TMOD3) is a member of the pointed‑end capping protein family that contributes to invasion and metastasis in several types of malignancies. TMOD3 has been found to be crucial for membranous skeleton and embryonic development; however, little is known regarding the role of TMOD3 in liver cancer progression. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the mechanism underlying the TMOD3‑regulated promotion of liver cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine whether TMOD3 is associated with liver cancer progression. TMOD3 expression was found to be elevated in liver cancer cells and tissues. In the in vitro experiments, liver cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration were inhibited by TMOD3 knockdown and promoted by ectopic expression of TMOD3. Furthermore, mechanistic analysis indicated that TMOD3 overexpression activated mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and increased the levels of other targets of this pathway, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2, MMP9 and cyclin D1. TMOD3 overexpression was associated with changes in liver cancer cell morphology and altered expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers. High TMOD3 expression was hypothesized to promote epithelial‑to‑mesenchymal transition in liver cancer cells. In conclusion, TMOD3 was shown to promote liver cancer cell growth, invasion and migration through the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, and it may serve as a candidate biomarker and therapeutic target in liver cancer.
Related Concept Videos
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
MAPK Signaling Cascades
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...
Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not...
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway
Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways

