Integrin β1 subunit overexpressed in the SMMC‐7721 cells regulates the promoter activity of p21CIP1 and enhances its transcription

Abstract
Evidence has been emerging to suggest that integrin could induce growth inhibition in some cell types. Some of the molecular mechanisms underlying growth arrest have been elucidated. We reported here that overexpression of integrin β1 imposed a growth inhibitory effect on the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC‐7721, and this phenomenon was mainly attributed to the cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor p21CIP1. Furthermore, our findings suggested that transcription activity of the p21CIP1 gene could be upregulated in the integrin β1‐overexpressing cells, and possibly controlled by the cis‐elements in the core region of the p21CIP1 promoter.