Figure 7

Impairment of S -nitrosothiol homeostasis expands a cancer stem cell-like subpopulation in MCF-7 cells. (A) MCF-7 cells were grown in suspension in the absence of serum, and the formed mammospheres were then trypsinized, disaggregated and the expression of CD24 and CD44 was analyzed by flow cytometry. The percentage of CD44⁺/CD24^low/- cells in mammospheres was compared with that from parental MCF-7 cells. (B) Estrogen-starved MCF-7 cells were exposed for 24 hours to the indicated treatments and, after trypsinization and disaggregation, their CD44 expression level was analyzed by flow cytometry and their capability to form mammospheres was evaluated by seeding at clonal density in suspension and in the absence of serum. *P < 0.05, compared with untreated. Aur, auranofin; CSNO, S-nitrosocysteine.