Ezrin蛋白与肿瘤转移关系

Relationship of Ezrin protein and cancer metastasis

Ezrin蛋白是ERM(Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin)家族的重要成员,是细胞骨架与细胞膜之间的连接蛋白,对细胞膜区域的整合和稳定性起到结构和功能调控的作用。Ezrin蛋白参与了微绒毛的形成及细胞形态的维持、细胞运动及黏附、细胞骨架的重塑及细胞信号转导过程,且可以作为膜的有机体和连接体连接细胞膜与细胞骨架,如:与细胞膜分子CD43、CD44、E-cadherin、ICAM-1等及细胞骨架成员F-型肌动蛋白(F-actin)的连接,并且有令人注目的临床证据显示:Ezrin蛋白家族和黏附分子在控制癌细胞具有的如黏附性的细胞功能及浸润转移的生物学特性上显得尤为重要。目前许多研究表明Ezrin蛋白与多种肿瘤的发生、转移和预后相关。Ezrin蛋白在肿瘤细胞中的表达异常,提示其在肿瘤的浸润、转移机制中发挥重要作用。有研究显示:Ezrin蛋白的异常表达可赋予肿瘤细胞高转移活性,影响并参与到肿瘤转移的多个环节,如:从原发灶脱落并具有运动性、侵入周围组织及脉管系统、穿透基底膜、选择性的在靶器官增殖形成转移灶等。对Ezrin蛋白在肿瘤中的全面研究,可以为肿瘤的诊断、治疗和预后评价提供新的思路和标准。

Ezrin protein, a member of the ERM （Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin） family, is a linking protein between cytoskeleton and plasma membrane that regulates the structure and function of the plasma membrane and maintains its stability. Ezrin protein is involved in the formation of microvilli, the maintenance of cell morphology, cell movement and adhesion, reorganization of cytoskeleton and signal transduction. Recent research suggests that Ezrin protein is an important factor in the genesis, metastasis and prognosis of many kinds of tumors. The abnormal expression of Ezrin protein in tumor cells may correlate with increased metastasis. The researches on ezrin protein can afford us a new strategy and standard for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cancers.