Refining the molecular profile of floating (dead) and sphere-forming (attaching) blebbishields. (a) Experimental plan to refine the molecular profile of floating versus sphere-forming blebbishields. See text for more details (the blebbishield-derived cells are characterized in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8). Cisp., cisplatin. (b) Western blotting analysis to compare the differences in stem-cell transcription factors Sox-2 and Nanog between floating and attaching blebbishields. (c) Western blotting analysis to compare the differences in crucial apoptotic regulators and p70S6K between freshly isolated blebbishields, reattaching blebbishields (sphere-forming), and floating (dead) blebbishields. Note the differences in expression of caspase-8 p10, non-glycosylated granzyme-B (∼28 kDa band) full-length p70S6K, XIAP (p48 fragment), and PARP (p42) bands. MEM, minimal essential medium; NEAA, non-essential amino acid (except ℒ-glutamine); Vit., vitamins; Cisp, cisplatin