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Akt isoforms regulate intermediate filament protein levels in epithelial carcinoma cells
Author(s) -
Fortier Anne-Marie,
Van Themsche Céline,
Asselin Éric,
Cadrin Monique
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.01.045
Subject(s) - protein kinase b , akt2 , vimentin , pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , intermediate filament , microbiology and biotechnology , keratin , gene isoform , carcinogenesis , biology , keratin 8 , signal transduction , akt1 , chemistry , cell , cancer , cytoskeleton , gene , biochemistry , immunology , genetics , immunohistochemistry
Keratin 8 and 18 are simple epithelial intermediate filament (IF) proteins, whose expression is differentiation‐ and tissue‐specific, and is maintained during tumorigenesis. Vimentin IF is often co‐expressed with keratins in cancer cells. Recently, IF have been proposed to be involved in signaling pathways regulating cell growth, death and motility. The PI3K/Akt pathway plays a pivotal role in these processes. Thus, we investigated the role of Akt (1 and 2) in regulating IF expression in different epithelial cancer cell lines. Over‐expression of Akt1 increases K8/18 proteins. Akt2 up‐regulates K18 and vimentin expression by an increased mRNA stability. To our knowledge, these results represent the first indication that Akt isoforms regulate IF expression and support the hypothesis that IFs are involved in PI3K/Akt pathway.