Identification of membrane fusion machineries for cancer cell invasion

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26440064
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Functional biochemistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science
• Principal Investigator: Inoue Hiroki 東京薬科大学, 生命科学部, 講師 (10294448)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TAGAYA Mitsuo 東京薬科大学, 生命科学部, 教授 (30179569)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 浸潤突起 / 細胞膜 / エンドソーム / 小胞輸送 / 細胞外基質分解

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Invadopodia in invasive cancer cells are actin-enriched structures with an ability to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) and play crucial roles in invasion and metastasis. Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase, MT1-MMP, is a major molecule that mediates ECM degradation at invadopodia and has been thought to be transported to invadopodia through several intracellular trafficking pathways. However, its molecular mechanisms remains elusive. In this study, we comprehensively identified several SNARE proteins as a membrane fusion machinery for MT1-MMP trafficking and invadopodia formation and revealed the roles of the SNAREs and their regulatory factor.

Free Research Field

分子細胞生物学