Effect of ADAM12 on migration, invasion and the EMT-like phenotype in GC cells. (A) The diagram of ECM-receptor interaction signaling pathway. (B) ADAM12 overexpression enhances the migration and invasion ability in AGS cells (*P<0.05, ***P<0.001). (C) ADAM12 overexpression promotes the EMT-like phenotype in AGS cells. (D) ADAM12 knockdown interferes with the migration and invasion ability in HGC27 cells (*P<0.05, ***P<0.001). (E) ADAM12 knockdown inhibits the EMT-like phenotype in HGC27 cells. (F) Correlation coefficient circles for ADAM12 and EMT-related genes from the TIMER database. Pink lines represent positive correlations and blue lines represent negative correlations. ADAM12, a disintegrin and metalloprotease 12; GC, gastric cancer; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition.