Description
Regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level plays an indispensable role during TGFbeta-induced EMT and metastasis. This regulation involves a transcript-selective translational regulatory pathway in which a ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complex, consisting of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein E1 (hnRNP E1) and eukaryotic elongation factor 1A1 (eEF1A1), binds to a 3-UTR regulatory BAT (TGF activated translation) element and silences translation of Dab2 and ILEI mRNAs, two transcripts which are involved in mediating EMT. TGFbeta activates a kinase cascade terminating in the phosphorylation of hnRNP E1, by isoform-specific stimulation of protein kinase B/Akt2, inducing the release of the mRNP complex from the 3-UTR element, resulting in the reversal of translational silencing and increased expression of Dab2 and ILEI transcripts.