Fig. 1
From: Annexin A2-mediated cancer progression and therapeutic resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Annexin A2 (ANXA2) in cancer progression. a The ANXA2-3-phosphoglycerate kinase (ANXA2-PGK) complex serves as a primer recognition protein to initiate DNA replication with the support from DNA polymerase alpha, which contributes to cell proliferation. b MIEN1 phosphorylates ANXA2 and supports ANXA2’s binding to actin filaments to modulate cytoskeletal change, thus resulting in cell migration. c ANXA2 initiates the endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the Twist/Snail pathway. After initiation of the EMT, cells changed to a mesenchymal-like morphology, and cell junctions dissolved. d The ANXA2 heterotetramer complex links to the plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). After plasminogen is cleaved into plasmin, plasmin activates pro-matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) to become MMPs. MMPs digest the extracellular matrix and fibronectin, thus resulting acceleration of invasion. e ANXA2 increases stemness-related transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog) through the Akt signaling pathway, which activates cancer stem cell formation