TY - JOUR T1 - The Role of the Integrin αvβ6 in Regulating the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Oral Cancer JF - Anticancer Research JO - Anticancer Res SP - 125 LP - 130 VL - 29 IS - 1 AU - DANIEL M. RAMOS AU - DONGMIN DANG AU - STEPHEN SADLER Y1 - 2009/01/01 UR - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/29/1/125.abstract N2 - In this study, we evaluated whether the forced expression of β6 integrin would modulate the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). When the full length β6 integrin was expressed in poorly invasive squamous cell carcinoma SCC9 cells, the resulting SCC9β6 cells acquired a fibroblast-like morphology, increased expression of the mesenchymal marker vimentin and reduced expression of the epithelial markers keratin and E-cadherin. SCC9β6D1 cells, which express a truncated form of β6 subunit lacking the C-terminal 11 amino acids (AA), retained their epithelial morphology and did not alter vimentin or E-cadherin expression. This suggests that the full-length β6 subunit can induce EMT in oral SCC cells. We previously showed that expression of β6 increases both MMP-3 activation and tenascin-C expression and we now show that both molecules are MEK dependent. These results also demonstrate that the terminal 11 AA of β6 contain information important for establishing an epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Copyright© 2009 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved ER -