Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) IF-EnkiLife-Recombinant Proteins,Antibodies,Kits,Cell Biology

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Immunofluorescence Research

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) IF

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.

EMT Overview

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 upregulated 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 of EMT

Cell Junctions and 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 (ZO) proteins (e.g., ZO-1) are peripheral membrane adaptor proteins that link junctional transmembrane proteins such as occludin and claudin to the actin cytoskeleton.

Key Transcription Factors

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.

ZEB family proteins (e.g., ZEB1) are zinc finger and homeobox domain containing transcription factors, whose targets of regulation include E-cadherin. TWIST1 is a basic helix-loop-helix (b-HLH) transcription factor that functions as a master regulator of embryonic morphogenesis, and plays essential roles in mesenchymal differentiation.

TWIST is upregulated in various human tumors and has been suggested to be a driver of EMT and metastasis.

Structural Proteins

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.

EMT Regulation Network Diagram

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
AMRe21480	Claudin 1 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody	WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA	Human,Mouse,Rat
AMRe01411	E Cadherin Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody	WB,IHC-F,IHC-P,ICC/IF,IP	Human
AMRe21484	N Cadherin Rabbit Monoclonal antibody	WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA	Human,Mouse,Rat
AMM81417	SNAI2 Mouse Monoclonal Antibody	WB,IHC,ICC,FC,ELISA	Human
AMM81225	TWIST1 Mouse Monoclonal Antibody	WB,IHC,ICC,FC,ELISA	Human,Mouse,Rat,Rabbit
AMRe21330	Vimentin Rabbit Monoclonal antibody	WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA	Human,Mouse,Rat
AMRe21526	AREB6 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody	WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA	Human,Rat
AMRe21195	ZO1 Rabbit Monoclonal antibody	WB,IHC,IF,IP,ELISA	Human,Mouse,Rat

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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.