Kinetics and reversibility of TGFβ-induced EMT in Py2T cells.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Morphological changes of Py2T cells during a time-course of TGFβ-treatment. Cells were cultured in growth medium containing TGFβ (2 ng/ml) and phase-contrast microscopy pictures were taken at the indicated times. (<b>B</b>) Immunoblotting analysis of lysates prepared from Py2T cells treated as in (A). The expression of epithelial (E-cadherin), mesenchymal (N-cadherin, fibronectin), luminal (CK8/18) and basal (CK14) markers was analyzed. (<b>C</b>) Changes in the expression of EMT markers during TGFβ-induced EMT of Py2T cells. Py2T cells were treated for 10 days with TGFβ as described in (A). RNA was extracted at the indicated time points of TGFβ-treatment and quantitative RT-PCR was performed with primers specific for the EMT markers indicated. Expression levels are shown as mean fold difference of untreated cells (0d) ± S.E.M of 5 independent experiments. (<b>D–E</b>) Reversibility of TGFβ-induced EMT. Py2T cells were treated with TGFβ for 30 days to induce EMT and were then further cultured without TGFβ for additional 30 days. Phase-contrast microscopy images were taken at the indicated time points (E). E-cadherin expression levels were analyzed throughout the experiment by immunoblotting (F).