beta-Catenin regulates P-cadherin expression in mammary basal epithelial cells.

Marisa M Faraldo (1) , Jérôme Teulière (2) , Marie-Ange Deugnier (1) , Walter Birchmeier , Joerg Huelsken , Jean Paul Thiery (1) , Amparo Cano , Marina A Glukhova (1)

1 CDC - Compartimentation et dynamique cellulaires
2 IGBMC - Institut de génétique et biologie moléculaire et cellulaire

P-cadherin expression is restricted to the basal layer of stratified epithelia including that of the mammary gland. Although evidence for an important role of P-cadherin in mammary morphogenesis and tumorigenesis is increasing, the mechanisms that regulate its expression are poorly understood. We show that in basal mammary epithelial cells, beta-catenin is associated with the P-cadherin promoter and activates its expression independently of LEF/TCF in a cell-type specific manner. Down-regulation of endogenous beta-catenin levels by RNA interference technique inhibited P-cadherin promoter activity. In vivo, in skin and mammary gland of mutant mice, activation of beta-catenin signalling correlates with up-regulation of P-cadherin expression. These data suggest that beta-catenin-dependent modulation of P-cadherin expression can contribute to the establishment of the basal phenotype.

Domaines: Biologie moléculaire

Marisa M Faraldo, Jérôme Teulière, Marie-Ange Deugnier, Walter Birchmeier, Joerg Huelsken, et al.. beta-Catenin regulates P-cadherin expression in mammary basal epithelial cells.. FEBS Letters, 2007, 581 (5), pp.831-6. ⟨10.1016/j.febslet.2007.01.053⟩. ⟨hal-00189994⟩