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University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

14-3-3 Zeta Overexpression Serves As A Novel Molecular Switch Turning Tgf-Beta From Tumor Suppressor to Tumor Promoter

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>TGF-β plays an important role in differentiation and tissue morphogenesis as well as cancer progression. However, the role of TGF-β in cancer is complicate. TGF-β has primarily been recognized as tumor suppressor, because it can directly inhibit cell proliferation of normal and premalignant epithelial cell. However, in the last stage of tumor progression, TGF-β functions as tumor promoter to enhance tumor cells metastatic dissemination and expands metastatic colonies. Currently, the mechanism of how TGF-β switches its role from tumor suppressor to promoter still remains elusive. Here we identify that overexpression of 14-3-3ζ inhibits TGF-β’s cell cytostatic program through destabilizing p53 in non-transformed human mammary epithelial cells. Mechanistically, we found that 14-3-3ζ overexpression leads to 14-3-3σ downregulation, thereby activates PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and degrades p53, and further inhibits TGF-β induced p21 expression and cell cytostatic function. In addition, we found that overexpression of 14-3-3ζ promotes TGF-β induced breast cancer cells bone metastatic colonization through stabilizing Gli2, which is an important co-transcriptional factor for p-smad2 to activate PTHrP expression and bone osteolytic effect. Taken together, we reveal a novel mechanism that 14-3-3ζ dictates the tumor suppressor or metastases promoter activities of TGF-β signaling pathway through switching p-smad2 binding partner from p53 to Gli2. The expected results will not only provide us the better understanding of the important role of 14-3-3ζ in the early stage of breast cancer development, but also deeply impact our knowledge of signaling mechanisms underlying the complex roles of TGF-β in cancer, which will give us a more accurate strategy to determine when and how anti-TGF-β targeted therapy might be effective.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation (PhD)
Year dc:date.available
2012

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Xu, Jia
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Dr. Dihua Yu
  • Dr. Paul Chiao
  • Dr. Peng Huang

Subjects

dc:subject × 10

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu:utgsbs_dissertations-1290

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Base URL
digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Xu, Jia. 14-3-3 Zeta Overexpression Serves As A Novel Molecular Switch Turning Tgf-Beta From Tumor Suppressor to Tumor Promoter. Dissertation (PhD) thesis, 2012. https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/utgsbs_dissertations/268