Le Naour Francois, Zoller Margot
INSERM U602, F-94807 Villejuif, France.
Front Biosci. 2008 May 1;13:5847-65. doi: 10.2741/3121.
The cell-cell adhesion molecule EpCAM/CD326 has been one of the first tumor-associated antigens and has soon received attention as an antibody target in cancer therapy. However, only recently, progress has been achieved in disclosing the array of functional activities of EpCAM and the underlying molecular mechanisms. This review will particularly focus on cooperative activity of EpCAM with two classes of transmembrane molecules, tetraspanins and claudins. EpCAM can associate with claudin-7 and the tetraspanins CD9 and CO-029. We propose that complex formation of EpCAM with tetraspanins and claudins does not only interfere with EpCAM-mediated homotypic cell-cell adhesion, but importantly, is also associated with a gain of function, like induction of apoptosis resistance.
细胞间黏附分子EpCAM/CD326是最早发现的肿瘤相关抗原之一，很快就作为癌症治疗中的抗体靶点受到关注。然而，直到最近，在揭示EpCAM的一系列功能活性及其潜在分子机制方面才取得进展。本综述将特别关注EpCAM与两类跨膜分子（四跨膜蛋白和紧密连接蛋白）的协同活性。EpCAM可与紧密连接蛋白-7以及四跨膜蛋白CD9和CO-029结合。我们提出，EpCAM与四跨膜蛋白和紧密连接蛋白形成复合物不仅会干扰EpCAM介导的同型细胞间黏附，而且重要的是，还与功能获得有关，如诱导抗凋亡。
