The transcription factors of the Snail family are key regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions, cell morphogenesis, and tumor metastasis. Since its discovery in Drosophila ∼25 years ago, Snail has been extensively studied for its role as a transcriptional repressor. Here we demonstrate that Drosophila Snail can positively modulate transcriptional activation. By combining information on ...

The Drosophila Snail protein is a transcriptional repressor that is necessary for mesoderm formation. Here, we identify the Ebi protein as an essential Snail co-repressor. In ebi mutant embryos, Snail target genes are derepressed in the presumptive mesoderm. Ebi and Snail interact both genetically and physically. We identify a Snail domain that is sufficient for Ebi binding, and which functions...

Snail transcription factor is up-regulated in several cancers and associated with increased tumor migration and invasion via induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). MAPK (ERK1/2) signaling regulates cellular processes including cell motility, adhesion, and invasion. We investigated the regulation of ERK1/2 by Snail in breast cancer cells. ERK1/2 activity (p-ERK) was higher in b...

BACKGROUND Snail is a transcriptional factor which is known to influence the epitheliomesenchymal transition (EMT) by regulating adhesion proteins such as E-cadherin and claudins as well as matrix metalloproteases (MMP). METHODS To evaluate the functional importance of snail, a transciptional factor involved in EMT in lung tumors, we investigated its expression in a large set of lung carcinom...

Snail, a transcriptional repressor of E-cadherin expression, plays a role in the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. However, the molecular basis of the role of snail in epithelial-mesenchymal transition has not been fully clarified. Here we show that the expression of snail in epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and A431 cells enhances both cell detachment and attachment. Sna...

BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to have benefit in T1 high-grade or T2 bladder cancer. However, neoadjuvant chemotherapy fails in some patients. Careful patient selection for neoadjuvant chemotherapy is therefore needed. Several reports show that Snail is associated with resistance to chemotherapy. We hypothesized that Snail expression could predict survival in T1 high-grade ...

The process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition plays a pivotal role in the conversion of early stage tumors into invasive malignancies, and has been shown to be regulated by the zinc finger phosphoprotein, Snail; however, no upstream signaling kinases have been shown to modulate Snail functions. Since the invasiveness of breast cancer cells is also influenced by p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) ...

The process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition plays a pivotal role in the conversion of early stage tumors into invasive malignancies, and has been shown to be regulated by the zinc finger phosphoprotein, Snail; however, no upstream signaling kinases have been shown to modulate Snail functions. Since the invasiveness of breast cancer cells is also influenced by p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) ...

Snail-like transcription factors affect stem cell function through mechanisms that are incompletely understood. In the Caenorhabditis elegans neurosecretory motor neuron (NSM) neuroblast lineage, CES-1 Snail coordinates cell cycle progression and cell polarity to ensure the asymmetric division of the NSM neuroblast and the generation of two daughter cells of different sizes and fates. We have p...

The Snail transcription factor has been described recently as a strong repressor of E-cadherin in epithelial cell lines, where its stable expression leads to the loss of E-cadherin expression and induces epithelial-mesenchymal transitions and an invasive phenotype. The mechanisms regulating Snail expression in development and tumor progression are not yet known. We show here that transforming g...