Figure 6. Schematic representation of the signaling pathways involved in the H. pylori CagA -induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer cells.

H. pylori virulence factors CagA suppressed PDCD4 expression in three gastric cancer cell lines, while the decline of PDCD4 could accelerate transcription factor TWIST1 expression. And then the latter regulates epithelial cell marker (E-cadherin) and mesenchymal cell marker (vimentin). Ultimately,epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer cells was induced in the process.