Líffræðifélag Íslands
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2015
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V72
Erika Morera, Þórarinn Guðjónsson, Magnus Karl Magnusson
Biomedical center, University of Iceland
Kynnir / Presenter: Erika Morera
Tengiliður / Corresponding author: Þórarinn Guðjónsson (tgudjons@hi.is)
D492 is a breast epithelial stem cell line that can differenciate into luminal and myoepithelial cells and in 3D culture forms branching ducts similar to milk ducts in vivo. When breast endothelial cells are cocultured with D492, epithelial branching is increased, indicating that endothelial cells are important inducers of branching morphogenesis. Interestingly, endothelial cells can also induce epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in D492. An endothelial-induced mesenchymal-like subline of D492 (D492M) shows spindle-like phenotype and reduced expression of epithelial markers including a switch from E- to N-cadherin. In addition, we have recently generated a HER2 overexpressing D492 cells that also show EMT phenotype. Surprisingly, D492M and D492HER2 are non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic, respectively. The aim of this study is to compare endothelial- and oncogene induced EMT by using the two isogenic cell lines, D492M D492HER2. Initial data demonstrate that D492HER2 migrates and invades more than D492M. Ongoing research focus on mapping the genotypic and phenotypic differences between these two cell lines.