ArticleCarcinogenesis2021
A novel tumor suppressor role of myosin light chain kinase splice variants through downregulation of the TEAD4/CD44 axis.
Article in Carcinogenesis, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Emergence of invasiveGut microbes · 2026Article
- Roles of TEAD Transcription Factors and their Coactivators in the Progression and Metastasis of Cancers.Recent patents on anti-cancer drug discovery · 2026Review
- 5-HTThe Journal of physiology · 2025Article
- Loss of myosin light chain kinase induces the cellular senescence associated secretory phenotype to promote breast epithelial cell migration.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Differential roles of serotonin receptor subtypes in regulation of neurotrophin receptor expression and intestinal hypernociception.Histology and histopathology · 2024Article
- Transepithelial Barrier Dysfunction Drives Microbiota Dysbiosis to Initiate Epithelial Clock-driven Inflammation.Journal of Crohn's & colitis · 2023Article
- 5-HTLaboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) regulates actinomyosin contraction. Two splice variants of long MLCK are expressed in epithelial cells and divergently regulate gut barrier functions; reduced MLCK levels in human colorectal cancers (CRC) with unclarified significance have been reported. CRC are solid tumors clonally sustained by stem cells highly expressing CD44 and CD133. The aim was to investigate the role of MLCK splice variants in CRC tumorigenesis. We found lower MLCK1/2 and higher CD44 expression in human CRC, but no change in CD133 or LGR5. Large-scale bioinformatics showed an inverse relationship between MYLK and CD44 in human sample gene datasets. A 3-fold increased tumor burden was observed in MLCK(-/-) mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice in a chemical-induced CRC model. Primary tumorspheres derived from the MLCK(-/-) mice displayed larger sizes and higher CD44 transcript levels than those from the WT mice. Bioinformatics revealed binding of TEAD4 (a transcriptional enhancer factor family member in the Hippo pathway) to CD44 promoter, which was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Individually expressing MLCK1 and MLCK2 variants in the MLCK-knockout (KO) Caco-2 cells inhibited the nuclear localization of TEAD4 cofactors, VGLL3 and YAP1, respectively, and both variants reduced the CD44 transcription. Accelerated cell cycle transit was observed in the MLCK-KO cells, whereby expression of MLCK1/2 variants counterbalanced the cell hyperproliferation. In conclusion, MLCK1/2 variants are novel tumor suppressors by downregulating the TEAD4/CD44 axis via reducing nuclear translocation of distinct transcriptional coactivators. The reduction of epithelial MLCKs, especially isoform 2, may drive cancer stemness and tumorigenesis.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.