Figure 3.

“Cadherin switching” is the downregulation of E-cadherins and upregulation of N-cadherins in EMT. E-cadherin-mediated adherens junctions disassociate due to the downregulation of E-cadherin while N-cadherin junctions establish a relatively weak adherens junction. Several signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT, TCF/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor (LEF) and RhoA will be activated by β-catenin following the loss of E-cadherin. Increased expression of RAC, cell division control protein 42 homolog (Cdc42), and RhoA leads to the rearrangement of cytoskeleton, whereby consequently the cell is changed from an adhesive state into motile state. Abbreviations: LEF = Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor; RhoA = Ras Homolog Gene Family, member A; ROCK = Rho-associated, coiled-coil containing Protein Kinase; Cdc42 = Cell Division Control Protein 42 Homolog.