Figure 1.

Mutant p53 GOF contributes to EMT in EC cells. (a) Morphology of endometrial cancer HEC-50 cells containing a control vector or mutant p53 R175H. Scale bars represent 100 μm. (b) Protein expression of p53 and EMT markers as analyzed by immunoblot. (c) Invasion of HEC-50 cells following overexpression of mutant p53s (mean±s.d.; n=3; *P<0.01). Representative images of invaded cells are shown. (d) Images indicate mammosphere formation in HEC-50 cells expressing the indicated constructs. The number of spheres obtained from 1000 cells at 12 days after plating (scale bar=50 μm; mean±s.d.; n=3; *P<0.01). (e) Mutant R175H- or empty vector-transfected HEC-50 cells were treated with paclitaxel (0, 25, 50 and 75 nmol/l) for 48 h. Cell viability were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay (mean±s.d.; n=3; *P<0.01). (f) Relative mRNA expression of stemness markers (normalized to GAPDH) in HEC-50 cells transfected with control or R175H vector, determined by qRT–PCR (mean±s.d.; n=4; *P<0.01).