Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential process during development whereby epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal, fibroblast-like properties and display reduced intracellular adhesion and increased motility. This is a critical feature of normal embryonic development, which is also utilized by malignant epithelial tumors to spread beyond their origin.
Overview of EMT
This tightly regulated process is associated with a number of cellular and molecular events. EMT depends on a reduction in expression of cell adhesion molecules. Cadherins mediate calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion and play critical roles in normal tissue development.
E-cadherin is considered an active suppressor of invasion and growth of many epithelial cancers. Recent studies indicate that cancer cells have up-regulated N-cadherin in addition to loss of E-cadherin. This change in cadherin expression is called the "cadherin switch" and downregulation of E-cadherin is one of the hallmarks of EMT.
Molecular Mechanisms
Tight Junctions and Cell Polarity
Tight junctions, or zonula occludens, form a continuous barrier to fluids across the epithelium and endothelium. They function in regulation of paracellular permeability and in the maintenance of cell polarity, blocking the movement of transmembrane proteins between the apical and the basolateral cell surfaces.
Tight junctions are composed of claudin and occludin proteins, which join the junctions to the cytoskeleton. Zona occludens proteins ZO-1, 2, and 3 (also known as TJP 1, 2, and 3) are peripheral membrane adaptor proteins that link junctional transmembrane proteins such as occludin and claudin to the actin cytoskeleton.
Key Proteins in EMT
Vimentin is an intermediate filament of mesenchymal origin and is present at early developmental stages. Vimentin's dynamic structural changes and spatial re-organization in response to extracellular stimuli helps to coordinate various signaling pathways.
β-catenin is a key downstream effector in the Wnt signaling pathway. It is implicated in two major biological processes in vertebrates: early embryonic development and tumorigenesis. β-catenin also activates Slug.
Slug (SNAI2) is a widely expressed transcriptional repressor and member of the Snail family of zinc finger transcription factors. Similar to the related Snail protein, Slug binds to the E-cadherin promoter region to repress transcription during development.
EMT is regulated by a complex network involving transcriptional regulation, post-translational modifications, epigenetic modifications, non-coding RNAs, and signaling pathways.
Relevant Antibodies
| Catalog# | Product Name | Application | Reactivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMRe01533 | Cytokeratin 10 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC | Human,Hamster,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe01491 | Cytokeratin 16 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC | Human |
| AMRe02822 | Cytokeratin 17 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,IP | Human |
| AMRe01527 | Cytokeratin 18 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,ICC/IF,IP | Human |
| AMRe01888 | Cytokeratin 19 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,IP | Human,Rat |
| AMRe01486 | Cytokeratin 4 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IP | Human,Rat |
| AMRe04020 | Cytokeratin 6 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF | Human |
| AMRe01890 | Cytokeratin 7 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,IP | Human |
| AMRe02964 | Cytokeratin 9 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe09717 | Cytokeratin 1 (1G12) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,IF-P | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe09720 | Cytokeratin 12 (3A7) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe09721 | Cytokeratin 13 (15D13) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC | Human |
| AMRe09723 | Cytokeratin 14 (11A9) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe09725 | Cytokeratin 14 (18K1) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,FC,IP | Human |
| AMRe09729 | Cytokeratin 15 (19D17) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,FC | Human |
| AMRe09744 | Cytokeratin 4 (11K16) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF | Human,Rat |
| AMRe09746 | Cytokeratin 5 (18R6) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,FC | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe09749 | Cytokeratin 6 (9I15) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF | Human |
| AMRe09756 | Cytokeratin 8 (3B5) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,FC,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21518 | Cytokeratin 5 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21465 | Cytokeratin 8 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21446 | Cytokeratin 7 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21458 | Cytokeratin 18 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21416 | Cytokeratin 19 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21063 | Cytokeratin 20 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA | Human,Rat |
| AMRe01411 | E Cadherin Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,IP | Human |
| AMRe03757 | N Cadherin Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe02400 | P cadherin Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe01528 | R Cadherin Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe13300 | LI Cadherin (14P12) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC | Human |
| AMRe19761 | VE Cadherin (14F11) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,ICC/IF,IP | Mouse |
| AMRe83728 | pan Cadherin Rabbit Monoclonal | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,ICC,FC,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe84429 | K-Cadherin Rabbit Monoclonal | WB,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe84490 | HCadherin Rabbit Monoclonal | WB,IHC | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe03926 | gamma Catenin Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,FC | Human, Mouse, Rat |
| AMRe02288 | Mucin 1 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,IP | Human |
| AMRe02289 | Mucin 4 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB | Human |
| AMRe21538 | Mucin 5AC Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe15092 | Occludin (10Z10) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,FC,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe86616 | Syndecan-1 (DGR11499) Rabbit mAb | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,FC | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21195 | ZO1 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat,Pig |
| AMRe02263 | MMP12 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IP | Human,Rat,Hamster |
| AMRe01420 | MMP14 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,IP | Human,Hamster |
| AMRe02264 | MMP2 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,ICC/IF | Mouse |
| AMRe02265 | MMP26 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB | Human,Hamster,Rat |
| AMRe02266 | MMP3 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat,Geese |
| AMRe02267 | MMP9 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA | Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe13970 | MMP1 (7R3) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | IHC,ICC/IF,FC | Human |
| AMRe13971 | MMP1 (7T4) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IP | Human |
| AMRe13984 | MMP17 (19A10) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe13986 | MMP2 (12D11) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,ICC/IF,FC | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe13997 | MMP8 (4B14) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,IP,IF-P | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21521 | MMP3 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,ELISA,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21559 | MMP13 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,ELISA,IP | Human,Mouse |
| AMRe21326 | MMP7 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe21168 | MMP2 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IF,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe83828 | MMP11 Rabbit Monoclonal | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,ICC | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe84120 | MMP17 Rabbit Monoclonal | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,ICC | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe86329 | MMP20 (DGR33318) Rabbit mAb | WB | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe86603 | MMP21 (DGR11220) Rabbit mAb | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,FC,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe87300 | MT4-MMP (DGR33091) Rabbit mAb | WB,IHC,ICC/IF | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe86416 | SNAI1 (DGR18395) Rabbit mAb | WB,IP | Human |
| AMRe20076 | ZEB1 (16B4) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody | WB,IHC,ICC/IF,FC | Human |
| AMRe21072 | ADAM10 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody | WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA | Human,Mouse,Rat |
| AMRe87449 | ADAM10 (DGR11371) Rabbit mAb | WB,IP | Human,Mouse,Rat |
Related Products
- Antibody Labeling Kit
- Western Blot Kits
- Super-sensitive ECL chemiluminescent reagent
- IHC Kit
- TSA mIHC Kits
References
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- Wodarz, A. and Nusse, R. (1998) Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 14, 59-88.
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- Bolós, V. et al. (2003) J Cell Sci 116, 499-511.
- Turner, F.E. et al. (2006) J Biol Chem 281, 21321-31.
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- Nie, F. et al. (2025) Cell Death Discov. 11, 336.
 | Voisey Voisey is a technical support specialist at EnkiLife, proficient in immunology and cell biology. She is committed to providing customers with professional and efficient technical support. Additionally, she is involved in research on customers' fields of study and designs highly cost-effective solutions for them. |