GATA-6 transcriptionally inhibits Shh to repress cell proliferation and migration in lung squamous cell carcinoma.

GATA-6 is a transcription factor that participates in cell lineage differentiation and organogenesis in many tissue types. The abnormal expression of GATA-6 is associated with the development of diverse cancers. GATA-6 acts as an oncogene or tumor suppressor based on tumor origin.

GLI2 promotes cell proliferation and migration through transcriptional activation of ARHGEF16 in human glioma cells.

Background: The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays critical roles in modulating embryogenesis and maintaining tissue homeostasis, with glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) transcription factors being the main mediators. Aberrant activation of this pathway is associated with various human malignancies including glioblastoma, although the mechanistic details are not well understood.

Methods: We performed a microarray analysis of genes that are differentially expressed in glioblastoma U87 cells overexpressing GLI2A, the active form of GLI2, relative to the control cells.

Arl13b Promotes Gastric Tumorigenesis by Regulating Smo Trafficking and Activation of the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway.

Inhibitors of the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway transducer Smoothened (Smo) have been approved for cancer treatment, but Smo mutations often lead to tumor resistance and it remains unclear how Smo is regulated. In this study, we identified the small GTPase Arl13b as a novel partner and regulator of Smo. Arl13b regulated Smo stability, trafficking, and localization, which are each crucial for Hh signaling.