Zinc transporter LIVI controls epithelial-mesenchymal transition in zebrafish gastrula organizer.

Abstract

Vertebrate gastrulation is a critical step in the establishment of body plan. During gastrulation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurs. EMT is one of the central events of embryonic development, organ and tissue regeneration, and cancer metastasis. Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) mediate biological actions such as cell proliferation, differentiation and survival in response to cytokines and growth factors, in a variety of biological processes. STATs are also important in EMT during gastrulation, organogenesis, wound healing and cancer progression. We previously showed that STAT3 is activated in the organizer during zebrafish gastrulation and its activity is essential for gastrulation movements. The requirement for STAT3 is cell-autonomous for the anterior migration of gastrula organizer cells, and non-cell-autonomous for the convergence of neighbouring cells. The molecular mechanisms of STAT's action in EMT, however, are unknown. Here we identify LIV1, a breast-cancer-associated zinc transporter protein, as a downstream target of STAT3 that is essential and sufficient for STAT3's cell-autonomous role in the EMT of zebrafish gastrula organizer cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that LIV1 is essential for the nuclear localization of zinc-finger protein Snail, a master regulator of EMT. These results establish a molecular link between STAT3, LIV1 and Snail in EMT.

• Authors: Susumu Yamashita, Chiemi Miyagi, Toshiyuki Fukada, Naofumi Kagara, Yong-Suk Che, Toshio Hirano
• Journal: Nature (Nature) Vol. 429 Issue 6989 Pg. 298-302 (May 20 2004) ISSN: 1476-4687 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 15129296 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Carrier Proteins
• DNA-Binding Proteins
• STAT3 Transcription Factor
• STAT3 protein, human
• Snail Family Transcription Factors
• Stat3 protein, mouse
• Trans-Activators
• Transcription Factors
• Zebrafish Proteins
• stat3 protein, zebrafish
• zinc-binding protein

Topics

• Active Transport, Cell Nucleus
• Animals
• Carrier Proteins (metabolism)
• Cell Differentiation
• Cell Line
• DNA-Binding Proteins (metabolism)
• Embryo, Nonmammalian (cytology, embryology, metabolism)
• Epithelial Cells (cytology, metabolism)
• Gastrula (cytology, metabolism)
• Humans
• Mesoderm (cytology, metabolism)
• Mice
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Morphogenesis
• Organizers, Embryonic (cytology, embryology, metabolism)
• STAT3 Transcription Factor
• Snail Family Transcription Factors
• Trans-Activators (metabolism)
• Transcription Factors (metabolism)
• Zebrafish (embryology, genetics, metabolism)
• Zebrafish Proteins (genetics, metabolism)