Skip to main content
. 2015 Nov 9;35(26):3465–3475. doi: 10.1038/onc.2015.409

Figure 7.

Figure 7

Schematic representation of the role played by cytoplasmic PML in promoting TGF-β signalling in tumour microenvironment. PML is exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in a CRM1-dependent manner. Cytoplasmic PML interacts and promotes the association of SARA with SMAD2 and SMAD3, which activates their phosphorylation. Phosphorylated SMAD2 and SMAD3 interact with SMAD4 and translocate to the nucleus where they regulate gene expression of factors involved in promoting EMT and invasion. During EMT, epithelial cells characterized by the expression of epithelial markers and a baso-apical polarity start to lose their cell–cell contacts and to express mesenchymal markers characteristic of mesenchymal cells. The later have a high migratory and invasive properties and have a key role in cancer progression.