Table 1.
Examples of the most important target genes that are associated with carcinogenesis regulated by Snail-1 [15].
| Target Gene | Function | The Role of Snail-1 | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-cadherin | Transmembrane glycoprotein responsible for cell-to-cell adhesion, maintains anti-migratory properties of epithelial cells | Gene repression | [18,19] |
| Occludin | Integral membrane protein, specifically expressed in the tight junctions in epithelial and endothelial cells | Gene repression | [20] |
| Claudins | Integral membrane proteins, components of the tight junctions | Gene repression | [21] |
| Mucin-1 | Transmembrane glycoprotein, plays a protective function by binding to pathogens and as a component of cellular signaling, epithelial marker | Gene repression | [22] |
| RKIP | Inhibitory protein, suppresses metastasis by inhibiting the Raf–MEK–ERK and NF-κβ pathways | Gene repression | [23] |
| PTEN | Inhibits the PI3K pathway and serves as a tumour suppressor | Gene repression | [24] |
| ZEB1 | Transcription factor, associated with the EMT induction, represses E-cadherin and Mucin-1 | Gene repression | [22,25] |
| Cytokeratin 18 | Intermediate filament protein associated with cell structure, signaling and cell cycle regulation; epithelial marker | Gene repression | [22] |
| p53 | Tumour suppressor; regulates cell cycle, apoptosis and genomic stability | Gene repression | [26] |
| Vimentin | Intermediate filament protein; builds the cytoskeleton, giving cell flexibility and anchoring the position of organelles; mesenchymal marker | Gene upregulation | [27] |
| Fibronectin | Glycoprotein involved in cell adhesion, growth, differentiation and migration | Gene upregulation | [28] |
| LEF-1 | Forms complexes with β-catenin and represses E-cadherin, mesenchymal marker | Gene upregulation | [29] |
| MMP-2; MMP-9 |
Degrades the extracellular matrix proteins, cleaves cell surface receptors and modifies cell-matrix adhesive properties | Gene upregulation | [28,30,31] |
RKIP—Raf kinase inhibitor protein; PTEN—phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10; PI3K—phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; ZEB1—zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1; LEF-1—lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1; MMP-2, MMP-9—matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9.