Horta CA, Doan K, Yang J. Mechanotransduction pathways in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity.
Curr Opin Cell Biol 2023;
85:102245. [PMID:
37804773 PMCID:
PMC10796216 DOI:
10.1016/j.ceb.2023.102245]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural support for cells and mediates cell-stromal communications. In addition to ECM proteins, mechanical force exerted from the ECM serves as a critical regulator of many biological processes. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process by which epithelial cells loosen their cellular junctions and migrate and invade in a more mesenchymal fashion. Recent studies show that increasing ECM stiffness can impinge on cellular signaling pathways through mechanotransduction to promote carcinoma cells to undergo EMT, suggesting that mechanical force exerted by the ECM plays a critical role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Here, we highlight recent work utilizing innovative approaches to study mechanotransduction and summarize newly discovered mechanisms by which mechanosensors and responders regulate EMT during tumor progression and metastasis.
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