The UBC9/SUMO pathway affects E-cadherin cleavage in HPV-positive head and neck cancer

Maria Elisa Sabatini; Micaela Compagnoni; Fausto Maffini; Claudia Miccolo; Fabio Pagni; Mariano Lombardi; Virginia Brambilla; Daniela Lepanto; Marta Tagliabue; Mohssen Ansarin; Simona Citro; Susanna Chiocca

doi:10.3389/fmolb.2022.940449

The UBC9/SUMO pathway affects E-cadherin cleavage in HPV-positive head and neck cancer

Front Mol Biosci. 2022 Aug 12:9:940449. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.940449. eCollection 2022.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, IEO Campus, Milan, Italy.
² Division of Pathology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
³ Department of Medicine and Surgery, Pathology, San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
⁴ Division of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.

Abstract

Functional loss of E-cadherin is frequent during tumor progression and occurs through a variety of mechanisms, including proteolytic cleavage. E-cadherin downregulation leads to the conversion of a more malignant phenotype promoting Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). The UBC9/SUMO pathway has been also shown to be involved in the regulation of EMT in different cancers. Here we found an increased expression of UBC9 in the progression of Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) and uncovered a role for UBC9/SUMO in hampering the HPV-mediated E-cadherin cleavage in HNC.

Keywords: E-cadherin; HPV; SUMO; Ubc9; head and neck cancer; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.