Table 1.

Changes Associated with Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transitions

EMT-Associated Changes in Normal and Neoplastic Cells

Cell-biological changes

Deconstruction of epithelial cell-cell junctions

Transition from apical-basal to front-rear polarity

Cytoskeletal rearrangements, e.g., actin reorganization

Motility

Invasion

Cell-associated proteolytic activity

Reprogramming of gene expression

Changes in gene expression often used as EMT indicators

Activated expression of EMT transcription factors: Snail, Slug/Snail2, ZEB1, ZEB2, Twist

Decreased expression of epithelial adhesion proteins: E-cadherin (or VE-cadherin in EndMT), ZO1, desmoplakin

Activated expression of mesenchymal adhesion proteins: N-cadherin, N-CAM

Increased vimentin expression

Increased fibronectin expression

Physiological Changes Associated with EMT in Carcinoma Cells

Cancer stem cell characteristics

Cancer cell motility, invasion and dissemination

Increased cancer drug resistance

Localized immunosuppression

Changes in genomic stability

Protection against senescence