E-Cadherin and Transglutaminase-1 Epithelial Barrier Restoration Precedes Type IV Collagen Basement Membrane Reconstruction following Vocal Fold Mucosal Injury

Abstract

The vocal fold epithelium is critical to upper airway immunologic defense and water/ion transport; therefore, any form of physical trauma or insult increases the vulnerability of this structure to functional impairment and pathogen invasion/infection. In this study, we examined the reestablishment of epithelial and basement membrane barrier structures in a well-established rat model of vocal fold mucosal injury. We observed active cell recruitment culminating in peak hyperplasia at 3 days postinjury, the establishment of robust E-cadherin+ and transglutaminase-1+ biochemical barrier signals along the epithelial surface by 3 days postinjury, and the persistent absence of a type IV collagen+ basement membrane at 7 days postinjury. The distinct spatial and temporal immunoactivity of these molecules is consistent with a programmed repair process driving the restoration of vocal fold mucosal integrity and permeability. These data may inform future efforts to optimize functional mucosal recovery postinjury and avoid undesirable events such as barrier compromise or epithelial metaplasia.

Overexpression of 14‑3‑3ζ in lung tissue predicts an improved outcome in patients with lung adenocarcinoma

“…expression of E-cadherin has been demonstrated to reduce tumor progression and invasiveness in addition to the formation of metastases (21,(27)(28)(29)(30). The results from the present study demonstrated that the overexpression of 14-3-3ζ was significantly associated with positive E-cadherin expression in tissue specimens from patients with lung adenocarcinoma and was a prognostic factor, which is in agreement with a number of previous studies that have suggested this association (14,15,31,32).…”

Vocal Fold Epithelial Barrier in Health and Injury: A Research Review

“…Three major groups of cell junctions include occluding, anchoring, and communicating junctions (Table 1). Members of each junction group have been identified in the vocal fold epithelium of humans and numerous animal models using a combination of cellular and molecular biology techniques (Alper, Fu, Erickson-Levendoski, Zheng, & Sivasankar, 2011; Fisher, et al, 2001; Gill, et al, 2005; Hirano et al, 2003; Ling, Raasch, & Welham, 2011; Rousseau, et al, 2011; Schneider, Teschner, Sudermann, Pikula, & Lautermann, 2002; Sivasankar, Erickson, Rosenblat, & Branski, 2010; Van Deusen & Lyon, 2008; Zhang & Fisher, 2012). Alteration in cell junction formation and distribution, destabilization, or all may lead to epithelial barrier dysfunction.…”

“…However, by day 7, the luminal surface of this thickened epithelium was characterized by decreased cell numbers and partial coverage by squamous-appearing cells. To further investigate epithelial recovery following injury, this group characterized the expression of the adherens junction protein E-cadherin and the protein cross-linking enzyme transglutaminase-1 at the same points as above (Ling, et al, 2011). Like E-cadherin, transglutaminase-1 is important for cell-cell adhesion and epithelial stability.…”

Gene of the month: E-cadherin (CDH1)

“…Indeed, a number of studies have identified a reduced expression of E-cadherin, due to loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 16q22.1, inactivating mutations, CpG-island hypermethylation of CDH1 gene promoter or silencing of CHD1 gene expression by specific transcription factors, in many epithelial tumours, including breast cancer (BC), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), gastric cancer (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC), as well as hepatocellular carcinoma;31 sqamous cell carcinomas of the skin,32 head and neck;33 oesophageal carcinoma;34 and melanoma 35…”