FBXO32 regulates mesenchymal transition and promotes metastasis

In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University and colleagues showed that F-box protein 32 (FBXO32) is necessary for differentiation of adherent epithelial cells into migratory mesenchymal cells, suggesting that targeting the protein could help prevent cancer metastasis.

In murine mammary gland epithelial and human primary mammary epithelial cell lines, a genome-wide transcriptome analysis identified strong transcriptional induction of FBXO32 during transforming growth factor (TGF) beta induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Additionally, analysis of FBXO32-regulated transcriptome changes showed that expression of FBXO32 leads to epigenetic remodeling of genes related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition, including cytokines and cellular matrix associated factors that promote differentiation...