Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an early event in cell dissemination from epithelial tissues. EMT endows cells with migratory, and sometimes invasive, capabilities and is thus a key process in embryo morphogenesis and cancer progression. So far, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have not been considered as key players in EMT but rather studied for their role in matrix remodelling in later events such as cell migration per se. Here, we used Xenopus neural crest cells to assess the role of MMP28 in EMT and migration in vivo. We show that a catalytically active MMP28, expressed by neighbouring placodal cells, is required for neural crest EMT and cell migration. We provide strong evidence indicating that MMP28 is imported in the nucleus of neural crest cells where it is required for normal Twist expression. Our data demonstrate that MMP28 can act as an upstream regulator of EMT in vivo raising the possibility that other MMPs might have similar early roles in various EMT-related contexts such as cancer, fibrosis, and wound healing.
Source: PLoS Biology
Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Centre de Biologie du Développement, Université de Toulouse, Unité de biologie Moléculaire, Cellulaire et du Développement, Centre de Biologie Intégrative de Toulouse, New York University, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,500
Funders: California Institute of Technology, “la Caixa” Foundation, University of Cambridge, European Commission, EMBO, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Fondation Toulouse Cancer Santé, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W3102678309