title: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is not sufficient for spontaneous murine breast cancer metastasis.
abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been linked to metastatic propensity. The 4T1 tumor is a clinically relevant model of spontaneous breast cancer metastasis. Here we characterize 4T1-derived cell lines for EMT, in vitro invasiveness and in vivo metastatic ability. Contrary to expectations, 67NR cells, which form primary tumors but fail to metastasize, express vimentin and N-cadherin, but not E-cadherin. 4T1 cells express E-cadherin and ZO-1, but are migratory, invasive, and metastasize to multiple sites. 66cl4 cells form lung metastases and display a mixed phenotype, but are not as migratory or invasive as 67NR cells. These findings demonstrate that the metastatic ability of breast cancer cells does not strictly correlate with genotypic and phenotypic properties of EMT per se, and suggest that other processes may govern metastatic capability. Gene expression analysis of primary tumors did not identify differences in EMT markers, but did reveal candidate genes that may influence metastatic ability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Genetics, BC Cancer Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Yuanmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: Olena
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Preobrazhenska
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: auf dem Keller
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sutcliffe
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barclay
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Calvin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roskelley
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Overall
authors.forename: Shoukat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dedhar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology