[Frontiers in Bioscience 16, 1536-1550, January 1, 2011]

The FERM family proteins in cancer invasion and metastasis

Hefen Yu1,2, Yuxiang Zhang1, Lin Ye2, Wen G. Jiang2

1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China, 2Metastasis & Angiogenesis Research Group, Department of Surgery, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Merlin/ERM proteins in cancer metastasis
3.1. Ezrin promotes cancer cell metastasis
3.2. Moesin promotes cancer cell metastasis
3.3. Tumour suppressor Merlin inhibits tumour metastasis
4. Protein 4.1B inhibits cancer metastasis
5. Ehm2 promotes cancer metastasis
6. The role of FAK in tumour metastasis
7. Summary and perspectives
8. Acknowledgement
9. References

1. ABSTRACT

Metastasis is the major cause of death in patients with cancer. Metastatic cancer cells undergo dramatic molecular and cellular changes by remodeling their cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion and their actin cytoskeleton, molecular processes that involve the activity of various signaling networks. The FERM family proteins can link transmembrane proteins to the cytoskeleton or link kinase and/or phosphatase enzymatic activity to the plasma membrane. They thus are involved not only in cell-extracellular matrix interactions and cell-cell communication but also in apoptosis, carcinogenesis and metastasis. This review will summarize the role and mechanism of FERM protein, with particular reference to the ERM and Ehm2 proteins in cancer metastasis.