Monoubiquitination of p120-catenin is essential for TGFβ-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor metastasis

Disassembly of intercellular junctions is a hallmark of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, how the junctions disassemble remains largely unknown. Here, we report that E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 targets p120-catenin, a core component of adherens junction (AJ) complex, for monoubiquitination during transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)–induced EMT, thereby leading to AJ dissociation. Upon TGFβ treatment, activated extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylates T900 of p120-catenin to promote its interaction with Smurf1 and subsequent monoubiquitination. Inhibition of T900 phosphorylation or ubiquitination of p120-catenin abrogates TGFβ-induced AJ dissociation and consequent tight junction (TJ) dissociation and cytoskeleton rearrangement, hence markedly blocking lung metastasis of murine breast cancer. Moreover, the T900 phosphorylation level of p120-catenin is positively correlated with malignancy of human breast cancer. Hence, our study reveals the underlying mechanism by which TGFβ induces dissociation of AJs during EMT and provides a potential strategy to block tumor metastasis.