Back to Search
Start Over
Morphomechanical Alterations Induced by Transforming Growth Factor-β1 in Epithelial Breast Cancer Cells.
- Source :
-
Cancers . Jul2018, Vol. 10 Issue 7, p234. 1p. - Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- The Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process that drives epithelial tumor cells to acquire an invasive phenotype. The role of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in EMT is still debated. We used confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning force spectroscopy to perform a morphomechanical analysis on epithelial breast cancer cells (MCF-7), comparing them before and after TGF-β1 exogenous stimulation (5 ng/mL for 48 h). After TGF-β1 treatment, loss of cell–cell adherence (mainly due to the reduction of E-cadherin expression of about 24%) and disaggregation of actin cortical fibers were observed in treated MCF-7. In addition, TGF-β1 induced an alteration of MCF-7 nuclei morphology as well as a decrease in the Young’s modulus, owing to a rearrangement that involved the cytoskeletal networks and the nuclear region. These relevant variations in morphological features and mechanical properties, elicited by TGF-β1, suggested an increased capacity of MCF-7 to migrate, which was confirmed by a wound healing assay. By means of our biophysical approach, we highlighted the malignant progression of breast cancer cells induced by TGF-β1 exposure. We are confirming TGF-β1’s role in EMT by means of morphomechanical evidence that could represent a turning point in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *BREAST tumor diagnosis
*BIOLOGICAL assay
*BIOPHYSICS
*BREAST tumors
*CANCER invasiveness
*CELL nuclei
*CELL physiology
*CELL motility
*ELASTICITY
*GENE expression
*GLYCOPROTEINS
*GROWTH factors
*MICROSCOPY
*MUSCLE proteins
*MUSCLES
*PHENOTYPES
*GENE rearrangement
*DISEASE progression
*DIAGNOSIS
EPITHELIAL cell tumors
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20726694
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 7
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Cancers
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 131105757
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers10070234