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Updated: Jul 8, 2025
10:37
Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: August 27, 2013
35.8K
Morphological and cytoskeleton changes in cells after EMT.
Assel Nurmagambetova1,2, Vadim Mustyatsa3, Aleena Saidova3
1School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, 53, 010000, Astana, Kazakhstan. assel.nurmagambetova@nu.edu.kz.
Scientific Reports
|December 13, 2023
Summary
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) significantly alters cell shape and cytoskeleton dynamics. Microtubule organization and dynamics show the most substantial changes during EMT, impacting cell structure and behavior.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Cytoskeleton dynamics
- Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)
Background:
- Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) involves significant transcriptional and morphological changes.
- Cytoskeletal dynamics during EMT are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate morphological and cytoskeletal changes in epithelial cells during EMT.
- To analyze alterations in microtubules, stress fibers, and focal adhesions post-EMT.
Main Methods:
- Induced EMT in MCF-7, HaCaT, and A-549 cell lines.
- Utilized immunostaining and live cell imaging with microtubule and focal adhesion markers.
- Analyzed changes in cell area, aspect ratio, and cytoskeletal component organization.
Main Results:
- Cell area increased post-EMT; MCF-7 and A-549 cells elongated, HaCaT cells maintained aspect ratio.
- Microtubule organization became radial with accelerated growth rate.
- Actin stress fibers aligned longitudinally; focal adhesions decreased in area (cancer cells) and increased in number (HaCaT cells).
Conclusions:
- EMT induces significant cytoskeletal rearrangements.
- Microtubule regulation demonstrates the most pronounced dynamic changes during EMT.
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