Figure 5.

CILA1 Promotes TSCC EMT and Metastasis via the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

(A) After stable silencing of CILA1 expression, chemoresistant TSCC cells were treated with CHIR99021 (6 μmol/L) for 24 hr; then the indicated protein expression levels were examined using western blotting. Knockdown of CILA1 expression inhibited expression of these proteins, while CHIR99021 partially rescued the expression level. β-Catenin and lamin B1 were used as controls. (B) Invasion and migration assays demonstrated the invasiveness of the TSCC cells with stable silencing of CILA1 expression and treated with CHIR99021 (6 μmol/L) for 24 hr. Inhibition of CILA1 expression impaired TSCC cell motility, and CHIR promoted it. (C) Expression of EMT markers was determined in TSCC cells with stable silencing of CILA1 expression using immunofluorescence analysis. The silencing of CILA1 expression enhanced E-cadherin expression and attenuated vimentin expression. CHIR99021 reversed the EMT process.