Figure 2. DEAR1 Regulates Epithelial Plasticity by Inhibiting the TGFβ/SMAD3 pathway.
Normal DEAR1 expression promotes the fine regulation of SMAD3 and inhibits TGFβ-induced EMT-associated gene expression in HMECs, while loss of function of DEAR1 by genetic alterations, such as mutation, copy number alteration or loss of expression, results in loss of polarity, a dramatic increase of SMAD3 levels, and in the presence of TGFβ, the initiation of EMT.