PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Boudreau, N
AU  - Sympson, CJ
AU  - Werb, Z
AU  - Bissell, MJ
TI  - Suppression of ICE and apoptosis in mammary epithelial cells by extracellular matrix
AID  - 10.1126/science.7531366
DP  - 1995 Feb 10
TA  - Science
PG  - 891--893
VI  - 267
IP  - 5199
4099  - http://science.sciencemag.org/content/267/5199/891.short
4100  - http://science.sciencemag.org/content/267/5199/891.full
SO  - Science1995 Feb 10; 267
AB  - Apoptosis (programmed cell death) plays a major role in development and tissue regeneration. Basement membrane extracellular matrix (ECM), but not fibronectin or collagen, was shown to suppress apoptosis of mammary epithelial cells in tissue culture and in vivo. Apoptosis was induced by antibodies to beta 1 integrins or by overexpression of stromelysin-1, which degrades ECM. Expression of interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE) correlated with the loss of ECM, and inhibitors of ICE activity prevented apoptosis. These results suggest that ECM regulates apoptosis in mammary epithelial cells through an integrin-dependent negative regulation of ICE expression.