The transcription factor Snail is a repressor of E-cadherin gene expression in epithelial tumour cells

The adhesion protein E-cadherin plays a central part in the process of epit helial morphogenesis. Expression of this protein is downregulated during th e acquisition of metastatic potential at late stages of epithelial tumour p rogression. There is evidence for a transcriptional blockage of E-cadherin gene expression in this process. Here we show that the transcription factor Snail, which is expressed by fibroblasts and some E-cadherin-negative epit helial tumour cell lines, binds to three E-boxes present in the human E-cad herin promoter and represses transcription of E-cadherin, Inhibition of Sna il function in epithelial cancer cell lines lacking E-cadherin protein rest ores the expression of the E-cadherin gene.