Fig. 5

The integrin signaling pathway regulated autophagy and EMT. FAK-Src–mediated integrin pathway has been shown to inhibit autophagy and promote EMT. In addition, integrin enhances EMT by stimulating the EGFR-ERK/MAPK signaling pathway. ILK accelerates EMT by activating the WNT/β-catenin pathway. Similarly, ILK can promote EMT development by transferring β-catenin into the nucleus, causing down-regulation of E-cadherin. Additionally, integrin signaling promotes TGF-β1–dependent down-regulation of E-cadherin expression, which is essential for EMT induction. Furthermore, ILK inhibits autophagy by promoting the phosphorylation of AKT and activating mTOR. By contrast, autophagy stimulates β-catenin and Smad signaling to enhance ILK expression, resulting in EMT promotion