Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible cellular process, characterized by changes in gene expression and activation of proteins, favoring the trans-differentiation of the epithelial phenotype to a mesenchymal phenotype. This process increases cell migration and invasion of tumor cells, progression of the cell cycle, and resistance to apoptosis and chemotherapy, all of which support tumor progression. One of the signaling pathways involved in tumor progression is the MAPK pathway. Within this family, the ERK subfamily of proteins is known for its contributions to EMT. The ERK subfamily is divided into typical (ERK 1/2/5), and atypical (ERK 3/4/7/8) members. These kinases are overexpressed and hyperactive in various types of cancer. They regulate diverse cellular processes such as proliferation, migration, metastasis, resistance to chemotherapy, and EMT. In this context, in vitro and in vivo assays, as well as studies in human patients, have shown that ERK favors the expression, function, and subcellular relocalization of various proteins that regulate EMT, thus promoting tumor progression. In this review, we discuss the mechanistic roles of the ERK subfamily members in EMT and tumor progression in diverse biological systems.

The aim of this study was to determine biofilm production and motility in Bacillus pacificus B630 and Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579, and to perform a comparative genome analysis using bioinformatic tools to understand the differences between the two strains. Biofilm production was performed in glass tubes stained with safranin; motility was determined on soft agar. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using genomic information from both strains, including the identification of orthologous genes, the similarity between genes of the eps1 and sipW-tasA-calY operons, and the SipW and TasA model prediction. B. pacificus B630 produces a greater amount of biofilm on glass than B. cereus ATCC 14579 (p < 0.01). Furthermore, B. pacificus B630 shows lower motility than B. cereus ATCC 14579 (p < 0.001). B. pacificus B630 contains 45 unshared genes, whereas B. cereus ATCC 14579 has 27 unshared genes. Differences in similarity were observed between the genes of the eps1 and sipW-tasA-calY operons. These differences between SipW and TasA may affect protein structural predictions. In SipW, the differences may affect the C-terminal region. In TasA, the number of B-sheets differed between the two proteins, and amino acid substitutions were found in regions of high protein aggregation. Genomic differences in genes associated with biofilm production may explain differences in biofilm production between the strains studied.