Overexpression of low-molecular-weight caldesmon is associated with aggressive phenotypes and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells

Figure 3 Loss of mesenchymal markers and gain of epithelial markers after CALD1 silencing in CAL-51 cells. A: Western blot analysis showing increased expression of the epithelial markers E-cadherin and ZO-1 in CALD1-silenced CAL-51 cells (small interfering RNA-CALD1) compared with negative control-transfected cells; B: Western blot analysis of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and Snail in breast cancer cell lines. HeLa cells were used as a positive control for epithelial - mesenchymal transition epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and MCF-7 cells were included as a less aggressive breast cancer cell line; C and D: Densitometric quantification of epithelial and mesenchymal marker expression normalized to β-actin. ^aP < 0.05; ^bP < 0.01. N.C: Controls; EMT: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition.