Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Induces Endoplasmic-Reticulum-Stress Response in Human Colorectal Tumor Cells

Zeindl-Eberhart, Evelyn; Brandl, Lydia; Liebmann, Sibylle; Ormanns, Steffen; Scheel, Silvio K.; Brabletz, Thomas; Kirchner, Thomas and Jung, Andreas (2014): Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Induces Endoplasmic-Reticulum-Stress Response in Human Colorectal Tumor Cells.
In: PLOS ONE 9(1), e87386

Abstract

Tumor cells are stressed by unfavorable environmental conditions like hypoxia or starvation. Driven by the resulting cellular stress tumor cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Additionally, cellular stress is accompanied by endoplasmic reticulum-stress which induces an unfolded protein response. It is unknown if epithelial-mesenchymal transition and endoplasmic reticulum-stress are occurring as independent parallel events or if an interrelationship exists between both of them. Here, we show that in colorectal cancer cells endoplasmic reticulum-stress depends on the induction of ZEB-1, which is a main factor of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In the absence of ZEB-1 colorectal cancer cells cannot mount endoplasmic reticulum-stress as a reaction on cellular stress situations like hypoxia or starvation. Thus, our data suggest that there is a hierarchy in the development of cellular stress which starts with the presence of environmental stress that induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition which allows finally endoplasmic reticulum-stress. This finding highlights the central role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition during the process of tumorigenesis as epithelial-mesenchymal transition is also associated with chemoresistance and cancer stemness. Consequently, endoplasmic reticulum-stress might be a well suited target for chemotherapy of colorectal cancers.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Medicine > Institute of Pathology
• Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• Language: English