Silvia Pietrobono, Giulia Anichini, Cesare Sala, Fabrizio Manetti, Luciana L Almada, Sara Pepe, Ryan M Carr, Brooke D Paradise, Jann N Sarkaria, Jaime I Davila, Lorenzo Tofani, Ilaria Battisti, Giorgio Arrigoni, Li Ying, Cheng Zhang, Hu Li, Alexander Meves, Martin E Fernandez-Zapico, Barbara Stecca
Understanding the molecular events controlling melanoma progression is of paramount importance for the development of alternative treatment options for this devastating disease. Here we report a mechanism regulated by the oncogenic SOX2-GLI1 transcriptional complex driving melanoma invasion through the induction of the sialyltransferase ST3GAL1. Using in vitro and in vivo studies, we demonstrate that ST3GAL1 drives melanoma metastasis. Silencing of this enzyme suppresses melanoma invasion and significantly reduces the ability of aggressive melanoma cells to enter the blood stream, colonize distal organs, seed and survive in the metastatic environment...
November 17, 2020: Nature Communications