The role of junctional adhesion molecule-A in cancer cell migration and morphology
Date
2013
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The cell adhesion molecule (CAM) family of proteins is a large group of proteins that
are typically transmembrane proteins used in the attachment of the cell to another cell
or to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A) is a
member of the CAM family that has recently been identified to have a role in various
cancers. Currently there is conflicting data for JAM-A in breast cancer concerning the
role of JAM-A in cellular migration. Using the highly metastatic cell line MDA-MB-
231, the aim for this study was to determine JAM-A’s role in the migration of the
MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and to start to determine the mechanism by which
JAM-A may be contributing. Through transfection of the MDA-MB-231 cells with
full length JAM-A, cytoplasmic deletion JAM-A (Δ257 JAM-A) and tyrosine to
phenylalanine 261 JAM-A (Y-F261 JAM-A), this study shows that full length JAM-A
decreased the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells and surprisingly Y-F261JAM-A along
with Δ257 JAM-A further decreased migration in transfected cells. Using
immunofluorescence it was determined that JAM-A localized at the cell-to-cell
adhesions between the transfected MDA-MB-231 cells and contributed to a more
epithelial like morphology overall. Also through immunofluorescence, it was shown
that transfection with full length JAM-A, Δ257 JAM-A and Y-F261 JAM-A increased the cell-to-cell adhesions. These findings make JAM-A an interesting protein to
examine in the migration and metastasis of metastatic breast cancer.