Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Histol Histopathol. 2014 Jan;29(1):11-9. doi: 10.14670/HH-29.11. Epub 2013 Aug 1.
Cell-cell adhesion is a fundamental activity to allow the maintenance of epithelial integrity, and defects impairing this process promote the formation of tumors such as colorectal cancer (CRC). In this regard, a crucial role is played by adhesion molecules, named cadherins, which exert their function through the inhibition of the β-catenin signaling proliferation pathway, constitutively activated in CRC. A number of reports, published over the last decade, have highlighted the existence of a novel cadherin family member, called μ-protocadherin, to underline the hybrid nature of its extra-cellular region, including both cadherin-like and mucin-like domains. Is has been shown that this protein plays an important role in inter-cellular adhesion processes, inhibits β-catenin activity in normal colorectal mucosa, undergoes a down-regulated expression in CRC and is up-regulated upon treatment with chemoprevention agents against this tumor.
细胞间黏附是维持上皮完整性的基本活动，而损害这一过程的缺陷会促进结直肠癌（CRC）等肿瘤的形成。在这方面，黏附分子（称为钙黏蛋白）起着至关重要的作用，它们通过抑制β-连环蛋白信号增殖途径发挥作用，而 CRC 中该途径持续激活。过去十年发表的许多报告强调了一种新型钙黏蛋白家族成员μ-原钙黏蛋白的存在，以强调其细胞外区域的混合性质，包括钙黏蛋白样和粘蛋白样结构域。已经表明，该蛋白在细胞间黏附过程中发挥重要作用，抑制正常结直肠黏膜中的β-连环蛋白活性，在 CRC 中表达下调，并在使用针对这种肿瘤的化学预防剂治疗时上调。
