Metastasis occurs when cells from a primary tumor invade and colonize other tissues. Metastasis is a complex, multistep process. Tumor cells must lose adhesion with other tumor cells, invade local tissues and vessels, move through the circulation, leave the vessels, and finally, establish new colonies at distant sites. Tumor cells gain the ability to cross epithelial layers and migrate through tissues by mutations, although the nature of the mutations that drive metastasis is poorly understood. Mutations that block expression of the E-cadherin gene are thought to be an important step in metastasis. The absence of E-cadherin expression could affect metastasis by blocking cell adhesion directly, by releasing signaling proteins bound to the cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin, or by both mechanisms. To better understand how loss of E-cadherin contributes to metastasis, scientists created two cell lines that differed in their expression of E-cadherin. One cell line was blocked for expression of normal E-cadherin. The other cell line expressed E-cadherin normally and, at high levels, a mutant form that included the cytoplasmic domain and the transmembrane segment of E-cadherin but lacked the rest of the protein. Both cell lines had strongly reduced cell adhesion in culture. However, only the cell line that did not express E-cadherin metastasized when introduced into mice. Which of the following hypotheses is most consistent with the observations on cell adhesion and metastasis in these cell lines? Choose one: A. The loss of adhesion caused by inactivation of E-cadherin is sufficient to explain how E-cadherin mutations promote metastasis. B. The cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin binds proteins required for cell adhesion, but those proteins are not involved in metastasis. OC. The E-cadherin cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains are sufficient to promote the cell-cell adhesion that prevents metastasis. OD. Loss of E-cadherin releases signaling proteins that normally bind to its cytoplasmic domain but promote metastasis when free.

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
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Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
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Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation
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Metastasis occurs when cells from a primary tumor invade and colonize other tissues. Metastasis is a complex, multistep process.
Tumor cells must lose adhesion with other tumor cells, invade local tissues and vessels, move through the circulation, leave the vessels,
and finally, establish new colonies at distant sites. Tumor cells gain the ability to cross epithelial layers and migrate through tissues by
mutations, although the nature of the mutations that drive metastasis is poorly understood.
Mutations that block expression of the E-cadherin gene are thought to be an important step in metastasis. The absence of E-cadherin
expression could affect metastasis by blocking cell adhesion directly, by releasing signaling proteins bound to the cytoplasmic domain of
E-cadherin, or by both mechanisms.
To better understand how loss of E-cadherin contributes to metastasis, scientists created two cell lines that differed in their expression
of E-cadherin. One cell line was blocked for expression of normal E-cadherin. The other cell line expressed E-cadherin normally and, at
high levels, a mutant form that included the cytoplasmic domain and the transmembrane segment of E-cadherin but lacked the rest of
the protein. Both cell lines had strongly reduced cell adhesion in culture. However, only the cell line that did not express E-cadherin
metastasized when introduced into mice.
Which of the following hypotheses is most consistent with the observations on cell adhesion and metastasis in these cell lines?
Choose one:
OA. The loss of adhesion caused by inactivation of E-cadherin is sufficient to explain how E-cadherin mutations
promote metastasis.
B. The cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin binds proteins required for cell adhesion, but those proteins are not
involved in metastasis.
OC. The E-cadherin cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains are sufficient to promote the cell-cell adhesion
that prevents metastasis.
OD. Loss of E-cadherin releases signaling proteins that normally bind to its cytoplasmic domain but promote
metastasis when free.
Transcribed Image Text:Metastasis occurs when cells from a primary tumor invade and colonize other tissues. Metastasis is a complex, multistep process. Tumor cells must lose adhesion with other tumor cells, invade local tissues and vessels, move through the circulation, leave the vessels, and finally, establish new colonies at distant sites. Tumor cells gain the ability to cross epithelial layers and migrate through tissues by mutations, although the nature of the mutations that drive metastasis is poorly understood. Mutations that block expression of the E-cadherin gene are thought to be an important step in metastasis. The absence of E-cadherin expression could affect metastasis by blocking cell adhesion directly, by releasing signaling proteins bound to the cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin, or by both mechanisms. To better understand how loss of E-cadherin contributes to metastasis, scientists created two cell lines that differed in their expression of E-cadherin. One cell line was blocked for expression of normal E-cadherin. The other cell line expressed E-cadherin normally and, at high levels, a mutant form that included the cytoplasmic domain and the transmembrane segment of E-cadherin but lacked the rest of the protein. Both cell lines had strongly reduced cell adhesion in culture. However, only the cell line that did not express E-cadherin metastasized when introduced into mice. Which of the following hypotheses is most consistent with the observations on cell adhesion and metastasis in these cell lines? Choose one: OA. The loss of adhesion caused by inactivation of E-cadherin is sufficient to explain how E-cadherin mutations promote metastasis. B. The cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin binds proteins required for cell adhesion, but those proteins are not involved in metastasis. OC. The E-cadherin cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains are sufficient to promote the cell-cell adhesion that prevents metastasis. OD. Loss of E-cadherin releases signaling proteins that normally bind to its cytoplasmic domain but promote metastasis when free.
Expert Solution
Step 1: Introduction

Metastasis is a critical process in cancer progression where cancer cells from a primary tumor site spread to other parts of the body, forming secondary tumors. This process involves several complex steps:

  1. Invasion

  2. Intravasation
  3. Circulation
  4. Arrest
  5. Extravasation
  6. Colonization

The Metastasis is a complex and poorly understood process, and it's a major factor contributing to the spread and lethality of cancer. 

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