Fig. 1.

CD271 correlates with an invasive signature and decreased proliferation. a Scheme illustrating the experimental approach using human organotypic skin substitutes as the basis for a humanized in vivo melanoma model to study melanoma invasion. Human melanoma cells (M070413) stably expressing GFP are mixed with human keratinocytes (HKC) and seeded onto high-density type-I collagen hydrogels containing human dermal fibroblasts (HFB). This human dermo–epidermal skin equivalent is then transplanted onto immunocompromised rats. b Immunofluorescent staining of GFP and CD271 on sections of transplanted human organotypic skin substitutes (M Melanoma, D Dermis). Scale bar 75 µm. c After excision, cells were isolated from the skin equivalent and sorted for GFP and CD271 high and low populations. d Gene expression analysis of the CD271 high and low populations (n = 2, Log2 ratio < −0.6, > 0.6; FDR < 0.5). e Pathway analysis of the CD271 high vs. low population with MetaCore^TM (http://thomsonreuters.com/en.html). f Selected genes with highest significance from the MetaCore^TM analysis representing enrichment of the EMT, Cell Adhesion, ECM Remodeling, Cell Cycle, Upregulation of MITF in melanoma and other pathways. g–p Correlation of RNA seq. data from TCGA for CD271 with MITF, Tyrosinase (TYR), Melan-A (MLANA), PMEL, E-cadherin (CDH1), ZEB1, TWIST1, WNT5A, c-JUN, and AXL genes