Research Article

Effect of CDH1 gene methylation on transforming growth factor (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in alveolar epithelial cell line A549

Published: February 13, 2014
Genet. Mol. Res. 13 (4) : 8568-8576 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.February.13.13
Cite this Article:
Y.Y. Liu, J.Y. Han, S.C. Lin, Z.Y. Liu, W.T. Jiang (2014). Effect of CDH1 gene methylation on transforming growth factor (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in alveolar epithelial cell line A549. Genet. Mol. Res. 13(4): 8568-8576. https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.February.13.13
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the specific molecular mechanism of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a lung cancer cell line, and to provide new ideas for targeting therapy of lung cancer. A549 cells were treated with different concentrations of TGF-β and 5-aza-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). The morphological changes after the intervention were observed. The change in the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin (E-cad) was detected by Western blot. The proliferation of A549 cells was measured using the MTT assay. Cell movement and invasion capacity was evaluated with the cell scratch test and invasion test. TGF-β induced A549 cells to transform to a mesenchymal cell morphology and downregulated the expression of E-cad, and 5-aza-dC inhibited this phenomenon. Compared with the control group, the number of transmembrane cells was higher and cell migration was markedly increased in the experimental group with continued culture in the presence of 10 ng/mL TGF-β, showing significant differences (P < 0.05). CDH1 gene methylation is involved in TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the alveolar epithelial cell line A549.

The aim of this study was to investigate the specific molecular mechanism of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a lung cancer cell line, and to provide new ideas for targeting therapy of lung cancer. A549 cells were treated with different concentrations of TGF-β and 5-aza-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). The morphological changes after the intervention were observed. The change in the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin (E-cad) was detected by Western blot. The proliferation of A549 cells was measured using the MTT assay. Cell movement and invasion capacity was evaluated with the cell scratch test and invasion test. TGF-β induced A549 cells to transform to a mesenchymal cell morphology and downregulated the expression of E-cad, and 5-aza-dC inhibited this phenomenon. Compared with the control group, the number of transmembrane cells was higher and cell migration was markedly increased in the experimental group with continued culture in the presence of 10 ng/mL TGF-β, showing significant differences (P