Figure 1. Snail is a necessary effector of MMP-3-induced alterations of gene expression and cell morphology.

(A, B) Non-target and Snail targeting shRNAs were delivered by lentiviral transduction, after which cells were exposed to MMP-3. The effect on Snail (A) and Vimentin (B) mRNA expression was assessed by RT-qPCR. Results are presented as relative quantification, normalized to GAPDH. (C) Phase contrast (top) and Snail immunofluorescence (bottom) images of cells exposed to MMP-3 or exposed to MMP-3 and treated with 10 mM N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). Scale bar, 100 μm. (D) Quantification of nuclear Snail immunofluorescence intensity. At least 150 cells from at least five different fields were assessed for each condition. Error bars, SE. (* p<0.05; **** p<0.0001).