EMT generate cells with stem like properties. I was wondering whether it reverses the the differentiated cells into undifferentiated state? My cells undergo dedifferentiation and acquires cancer stem cell like properties but it doesn`t induces EMT and it loses clonogenicity.
Differentiation and EMT are two separate entities, the latter being highly plastic and reversible. EMT can only make a cell to loose local contact and become motile. Both the attributes are very plastic and a cell may revert back by the process of MET (mesenchymal to epithelial transition) .There are reports which suggest that stemness like properties generated by EMT are accompanied by the increase in expression of oct-4, NANOG, CD 133 etc. with the increase in sphere forming ability. But not till this point of time EMT has been implicated to change the differentiated state of a cell.
Stem cell-like properties would include 1) Self renewal (with asymmetric and stochastic differentiation), and 2) Potency. I don't know how fair it is to compare EMT to stem cells. Although, EMT is supposed to generate cells with phenotypes of mesenchymal stem cells. With loss of cell-cell adhesion and increased invasive properties, the cells acquire a cancer-like phenotype. In your case, I think your thought process might be right as cells may dedifferentiate, as reported in a few papers. If that happens, you may see stem cell-like properties. If you don't want such phenotype, I would suggest you to use a different cytokine, or a combination of cytokines known to induce EMT.
Thanks Rohit. Actually my cells increases sphere formation ability, 2ndary sphere generation and increases CD44+CD24- stem like cells. It changes morphology which looks like mesenchymal but they don`t exhibits invasive properties as confirmed on invasion chamber and they don`t lose Ecadherin or express vimentin either. Its not about what i want, its about whats going on up there.
I think it must be noted that EMT is a transdifferentiation program, i.e. cells indeed dedifferentiate from an epithelial phenotype (loss of adherens and tight junctions, cytokeratins, cytoplasmic ß-catenin), but other genes show a concomitant increase of expression (vimentin, fibronectin, N-cadherin) leading to a mesenchymal differentiation. The story is not complete by just explaining EMT as a dedifferentiation process.
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