Epithelial to mesenchymal transition

​All the tools you need to study epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer and neuroscience.

EMT is a reversible process where epithelial cells undergo defined molecular changes to become motile

Characteristics of EMT:


Disassembly of cell-cell contacts

During EMT, tight junctions, adherens junctions and desmosomes are disassembled, resulting in a loss of epithelial markers including E-cadherin, claudin and occludin. The decline of specialized cell-cell contacts causes a loss of apical-basal polarity.

Cytoskeletal modification
As epithelial cells become mesenchymal cells, cytoskeletal changes occur that promote cell motility. Actin stress fibers form and the intermediate filament composition shifts with the repression of cytokeratin and the upregulation of vimentin expression.

Anti-E Cadherin antibody [EP700Y] - Intercellular Junction Marker (ab40772)
Immunohistochemistry (formalin/PFA-fixed paraffin-embedded sections) of human breast carcinoma tissue stained using anti-E cadherin recombinant rabbit monoclonal antibody (ab40772) (green). View datasheet.


Cytoskeletal modification

As epithelial cells become mesenchymal cells, cytoskeletal changes occur that promote cell motility. Actin stress fibers form and the intermediate filament composition shifts with the repression of cytokeratin and the upregulation of vimentin expression.

Anti-Vimentin antibody [EPR3776] - Cytoskeleton Marker (ab92547)
Immunohistochemistry (formalin/PFA-fixed paraffin-embedded sections) of human breast adenocarcinoma tissue stained using anti-vimentin recombinant rabbit monoclonal antibody (ab92547). ​View datasheet.


Changes in gene expression

The transition from epithelial to mesenchymal gene expression is mediated by the activation of Snail, ZEB, and bHLH family transcription factors.

Anti-AREB6 antibody [EPR17375] (ab203829)
Immunohistochemistry (formalin/PFA-fixed paraffin-embedded sections) of human cervical carcinoma tissue stained with anti-AREB6 (ZEB1) recombinant rabbit monoclonal antibody (ab203829). View datasheet.



Gain of motility

The switch from E-cadherin to N-cadherin, cytoskeletal rearrangements, and matrix metalloprotease expression facilitates cell motility in mesenchymal cells. 

Anti-N Cadherin antibody (ab18203)
Immunohistochemistry (formalin/PFA-fixed paraffin-embedded sections) of human liver cancer tissue stained with anti-N Cadherin rabbit polyclonal antibody (ab18203). View datasheet.


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