[Does the c-ets 1 oncogene participate in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis?]

Does the c-ets 1 protooncogene take part in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis? The formation of new blood vessels is an essential process in embryonic development and wound healing, for tumor growth and metastasis. In situ hybridization studies have revealed that the protooncogene c-ets 1 is expressed in endothelial cells at the beginning of blood vessel formation, in normal and pathological conditions. C-ets 1 encodes a transcription factor, a protein which binds specifically to DNA and which regulates the transcription of genes containing these specific binding sequences in their promotors. Thus in vitro experiments suggest that c-ets 1 may activate the transcription of genes encoding collagenase 1, stromelysine 1 and urokinase plasminogen activator, proteases involved in extracellular matrix degradation. A working hypothesis is that c-ets 1 takes part in regulating angiogenesis by controlling the transcription of these genes whose activity is necessary for the migration of endothelial cells from preexisting capillaries. This hypothesis is discussed with respect to current experimental evidences and to the complexity of the regulatory network controlling gene transcription and extracellular matrix degradation.