Metastasis-associated C4.4A acts as a linker between membrane proteases and alpha6beta4

C4.4A is a metastasis-associated membrane proteins. Its expression is very restricted on normal tissue, but strongly upregulated during wound healing and progression in some tumors. The function of the molecule still remaining elusive, I aimed to shed some light on its transcriptional regulation and possible functions. Although C4.4A transcription is not promoted by HIF-1alpha, increase C4.4A expression under hypoxia supports motility, invasiveness and apoptosis resistance.