Figure 2

E2 antagonizes Runx2-induced EMT markers and invasiveness of MCF7/Rx2^dox BCa cells. (A) MCF7/Rx2^dox cells were maintained for two days in medium supplemented with CSS and then treated for two days with either vehicle control (C), dox (D), E2 (E), or both stimulants (DE), followed by RT-qPCR analysis of SNAI2, S100A4, vimentin (VIM) and E-cadherin (CDH1) mRNAs. (B) Relative expression of the same marker genes after treatment as in A for seven days. (C) Phase-contrast images of MCF7/Rx2^dox cells after seven days of treatments as indicated. (D) MCF7/Rx2^dox cells transduced with lentiviruses constitutively expressing firefly luciferase were placed in BD Biocoat™ Transwell inserts with Matrigel™ and treated for 24 hours as indicated. Luciferase activity in cells that invaded through the Matrigel™ membrane is presented relative to the average control value (Mean ± SD; n = 3; **P < 0.01). CSS, charcoal stripped serum; dox, doxycycline; E2, estradiol; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition; RT-qPCR; reverse transcription - quantitative polymerase chain reaction; Runx2, runt related transcription factor 2; S100A4, S100 calcium binding protein A4; SNAI2, snail homolog 2.