Involvement of retrotransposon L1 in stemness and cellular plasticity

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as the reverse process, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) is important during embryogenesis. EMT is also involved in cancer invasion and metastasis, and can generate cells with properties similar to those of stem cells. Retrotransposons can...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cell communication & adhesion 2015-01, Vol.22 (1), p.1-7
Main Authors: Apostolou, Panagiotis, Toloudi, Maria, Chatziioannou, Marina, Kourtidou, Eleni, Mimikakou, Georgia, Vlachou, Ioanna, Chlichlia, Aikaterini, Papasotiriou, Ioannis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
cancer
cancer stem cells
Cell Line, Tumor
cell plasticity
Cell Plasticity - physiology
Endonucleases - antagonists & inhibitors
Endonucleases - genetics
Endonucleases - metabolism
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Homeodomain Proteins - genetics
Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism
Humans
LINE-1
Nanog Homeobox Protein
Neoplastic Stem Cells - cytology
Neoplastic Stem Cells - metabolism
Open Reading Frames - genetics
retrotransposon
Ribonucleoproteins - genetics
Ribonucleoproteins - metabolism
RNA Interference
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
RNA, Small Interfering - metabolism
RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - genetics
RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - metabolism
SOXB1 Transcription Factors - genetics
SOXB1 Transcription Factors - metabolism
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Summary:Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as the reverse process, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) is important during embryogenesis. EMT is also involved in cancer invasion and metastasis, and can generate cells with properties similar to those of stem cells. Retrotransposons can rearrange the genome by inserting DNA in new loci, thus inducing mutations. This study examines the gene expression of transcription factors involved in EMT and MET. In the second experimental panel, the gene expression of L1 retrotransposon was studied. L1-open reading frame (ORF) 2 mRNA was found to be expressed both in cancer and cancer stem cells, while L1-ORF1 mRNA was expressed only in cancer cells. The suppression of L1-ORF2 gene expression demonstrated that this retrotransposon might affect EMT in colon cancer stem cells. This study highlights that the EMT process seems to differ between cancer cells and cancer stem cells, and that transposable elements seem to be involved in the process, influencing cellular plasticity.
ISSN:1541-9061
1543-5180
DOI:10.3109/15419061.2014.970270