FIG. 3.

In conventional 2D cell culture, SW480 cells display a less differentiated and more malignant phenotype than Caco2 cells. In 2D cell culture, phase-contrast pictures show that SW480 cells round up and lose contact with the bottom of the culture flask (A1), whereas Caco2 cells display a well-differentiated monolayer (A2). Immunofluorescence double stainings of vimentin (red right top in B, E) and PCK (green right top in B, E) indicate a higher expression of the mesenchymal marker vimentin in SW480 (B) than in Caco2 cells (E), which was confirmed and quantified by qRT-PCR (D). Immunofluorescence double stainings of the adherence junction protein E-cadherin (green right bottom in C, F) and β-catenin (red right top in C, F) demonstrate a lower expression of E-cadherin in SW480 (C) than in Caco2 cells (F). β-Catenin localizes in the nucleus of several SW480 cells (C, arrows). E-cadherin expression could be also confirmed and quantified by qRT-PCR (D). Scale bars in (B–F): 25 μm. 2D, two-dimensional; PCK, Pan-cytokeratin; qRT-PCR, quantitative real time-PCR. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tec