Involvement of the transcription factor FoxM1 in contact inhibition

Contact inhibition is a crucial mechanism regulating proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Although it is generally accepted that contact inhibition plays a pivotal role in maintaining tissue homeostasis, the molecular mechanisms of contact inhibition are still not fully understood. FoxM1 is known as a proliferation-associated transcription factor and is upregulated in many cancer types. Vice versa, anti-proliferative signals, such as TGF-β and differentiation signals decrease FoxM1 expression. Here we investigated the role of FoxM1 in contact inhibition in fibroblasts. We show that protein expression of FoxM1 is severely and rapidly downregulated upon contact inhibition, probably by inhibiti…