Fig. 1

The SCM induces an EMT-like program in MCF-7 cells. a MCF-7 cells were cultured in media with 0,5% FBS (control) or SCM. The morphological evaluations were done at 48 and 96 h after SCM treatment. Representative images are shown. Arrowhead indicates cells with fibroblastoid morphology. Scale bar, 10 μm. b Representative plot of surface marker expression determined by flow cytometry (FACS) with CD44-FITC (mesenchymal marker) and CD24-PE (epithelial marker) monoclonal antibodies in MCF-7 cells stimulated with SCM during 5 days (n = 2). c CD44 expression determination by qRT-PCR; the values were normalized to GADPH and relative to control cells. Error bars represent SEM (n = 2). d Transwell migration (upper) and matrigel invasion (bottom) assays performed in MCF-7 cells control and treated with SCM by using 20% FBS as a quimioattractant in the lower compartment. The histograms show the number of cells present in the lower compartment as a measure of the ability of this cells to migrated (upper) and the number of cells present on the bottom surface of filters from at least 15 images as a measure of the ability to invade (bottom). Error bars indicate SEM. (**p < 0.01) (n = 2). e Growth kinetics of MCF-7 cells upon treatments with SCM. Equal numbers of cells were seeded by triplicate and cells were counted at the indicated time points. Error bars represent SEM. (***p < 0.001) (n = 2). f Representative FACS histograms showing the expression of Ki-67 in control and SCM-treated cells (black and grey histogram, respectively). Filled histogram corresponds to blanc and dotted histogram to isotype control