Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) refers to the transformation of polar epithelial cells into motile mesenchymal cells under specific physiological or pathological conditions, thus promoting the metastasis of cancer cells. Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) is a protein that plays an important role in the acquisition of tumor cell motility and serves as a key EMT epithelial marker. In the present study, AW01178, a small-molecule compound with potential therapeutic efficacy, was identified via in-cell Western high-throughput screening technology using E-cadherin as the target. The compound induced the upregulation of E-cadherin at both mRNA and protein levels and inhibited the EMT of breast cancer cells in vitro as well as metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, AW01178 is a novel benzacetamide histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) mainly targeting class I histone deacetylases. AW01178 promoted the transcription and expression of E-cadherin through enhancing the acetylation level of histone H3 in the E-cadherin promoter region, thereby inhibiting the metastasis of breast cancer cells. The collective findings support the potential utility of the novel HDACi compound identified in this study, AW01178, as a therapeutic drug for breast cancer and highlight its value for the future development of HDACi structures as anticancer drugs.

Objective: To investigate the role of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in paraquat (PQ) -induced alterations in alveolar epithelial cell mesenchymalization (EMT) . Methods: In February 2023, RLE-6TN cells were divided into 2 groups, which were set as uncontaminated group and contaminated group (200 μmol/L PQ), and cellular EMT alteration, CTGF and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway related molecules expression were detected by cell scratch assay, qRT-PCR and western-blot assay. Using shRNA interference technology to specifically inhibit the expression of CTGF, RLE-6TN cells were divided into four groups: control group, PQ group (200 μmol/L PQ), interference group (transfected with a plasmid with shRNA-CTGF+200 μmol/L PQ), and null-loaded group (transfected with a plasmid with scramble- CTGF+200 μmol/L PQ), qRT-PCR and western blot were used to examine the alteration of the cellular EMT and the expression of molecules related to the activity of PI3K/Akt pathway. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was blocked by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002, and the expression of EMT-related molecules in cells of the control group, PQ group (200 μmol/L PQ), and inhibitor group (200 μmol/L PQ+20 μmol/L LY294002) was examined by qRT-PCR and western blot.The t-test was used to compare the differences between the two groups, while the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to compare the differences among multiple groups. For further pairwise comparisons, the Bonferroni method was adopted. Results: The results of cell scratch test showed that compared with the uncontaminated group, RLE-6TN cells in the contaminated group had faster migration rate, lower mRNA and protein expression levels of E-Cadherin, and higher mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA, CTGF, PI3K and Akt, with statistical significance (P<0.05). After specific inhibition of CTGF expression, the mRNA and protein expression of CTGF, PI3K, Akt, and α-SMA in the cells of the interference group were significantly lower than that of the PQ group and the null-loaded group (P<0.05/6), whereas that of E-Cadherin was higher than that of the PQ group and the null-loaded group (P<0.05/6). Specifically blocking the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, the mRNA and protein expression of PI3K, Akt and α-SMA in the cells of the inhibitor group was decreased compared with that of the PQ group (P<0.05/3), while the expression of E-Cadherin was elevated compared with that of the PQ group (P<0.05/3) . Conclusion: CTGF may promote PQ-induced alveolar epithelial cell EMT through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Inhibition of CTGF expression or blockade of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activity can alleviate the extent of PQ-induced alveolar epithelial cell EMT.
目的： 探讨结缔组织生长因子（CTGF）及磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶/丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶（PI3K/Akt）信号通路在百草枯（PQ）致肺泡上皮细胞上皮-间充质化（EMT）改变的作用。 方法： 于2023年2月，将RLE-6TN细胞分成2组，设为未染毒组和染毒组（200 μmol/L PQ），采用细胞划痕实验、qRT-PCR和Western-blot法检测细胞EMT改变、CTGF及PI3K/Akt信号通路相关分子表达情况。利用shRNA干扰技术特异性抑制CTGF的表达，将RLE-6TN细胞分成4组，分别为对照组、PQ组（200 μmol/L PQ）、干扰组（转染含shRNA-CTGF质粒+200 μmol/L PQ）和空载组（转染含CTGF-scramble质粒+200 μmol/L PQ），qRT-PCR和Western-blot法检测细胞EMT改变及PI3K/Akt通路活性相关分子的表达情况。使用PI3K抑制剂LY294002阻断PI3K/Akt信号通路，运用qRT-PCR和Western-blot法检测对照组、PQ组（200 μmol/L PQ）、抑制剂组（200 μmol/L PQ+20 μmol/L LY294002）细胞EMT相关分子表达情况。两组间差异比较采用t检验，多组间差异比较采用方差分析，进一步两两比较采用Bonferroni法。 结果： 细胞划痕实验结果显示，与未染毒组比较，PQ染毒组RLE-6TN细胞迁移速度更快，E-钙黏蛋白（E-Cadherin）的mRNA和蛋白表达量更低，α-平滑肌肌动蛋白（α-SMA）、CTGF、PI3K、Akt的mRNA和蛋白表达量更高，差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。特异性抑制CTGF表达后，干扰组细胞CTGF、PI3K、Akt、α-SMA的mRNA和蛋白表达量明显低于PQ组和空载组（P<0.05/6），E-Cadherin的mRNA和蛋白表达量高于PQ组和空载组（P<0.05/6）。特异性阻断PI3K/Akt信号通路，抑制剂组细胞PI3K、Akt和α-SMA的mRNA和蛋白表达量较PQ组降低（P<0.05/3），E-Cadherin表达量较PQ组升高（P<0.05/3）。 结论： CTGF可能通过激活PI3K/Akt信号通路促进PQ致肺泡上皮细胞EMT改变，抑制CTGF的表达或阻断PI3K/Akt信号通路活性，可减轻PQ所致肺泡上皮细胞EMT的程度。.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins in rats with intrauterine adhesions (IUA), so as to explore the possible mechanisms of EA in repairing endometrial damage in IUA.
METHODS: Female SD rats were randomly divided into blank, model, EA, and ICG-001 groups, with 10 rats in each group. The IUA model was established by using mechanical scraping combined with lipopolysaccharide infection for double injury. In the EA group, \"Guanyuan\" (CV4) was needled and EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1-2 mA) was applied to \"Zusanli\" (ST36) and \"Sanyinjiao\"(SP6) on both sides. In the ICG-001 group, ICG-001 (5 mg/kg), the inhibitor of β-catenin was intraperitoneally injected. After intervention, samples were taken from 5 rats in each group, and uterine endometrium morphology, endometrial thickness, and gland counts were observed using HE staining. Masson staining was used to assess the degree of fibrosis in the endometrial tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the positive expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (FN), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), type I collagen (Col- Ⅰ), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), β-catenin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin in the endometrial tissue. Western blot was used to detect the relative expression of GSK-3β, β-catenin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin proteins in the endometrial tissue. Another 5 rats from each group were placed in cages with male rats after intervention to record the number of embryo implantations.
RESULTS: Necrosis and loss of endometrial tissue in the model group observed after HE staining were alleviated in the EA group, better than those in the ICG-001 group. Compared with the blank group, the numbers of glands and endometrial thickness in the uterine endometrial tissue, relative expression and positive expression of E-cadherin and GSK-3β proteins in the uterine endometrial tissue, and embryo implantation numbers were reduced(P<0.000 1, P<0.001, P<0.01) in the model group, while fibrosis area ratio in the uterine endometrial tissue, TGF- β 1, α -SMA, FN, CTGF, Col- Ⅰ positive expressions, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and β-catenin proteins expression and positive expression were increased(P<0.000 1, P<0.001, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the number of glands and endometrial thickness, E-cadherin and GSK-3β proteins expression and positive expression, and embryo implantation numbers were increased (P<0.001, P<0.05, P<0.01) in the EA and ICG-001 groups, while the fibrosis area ratio in the uterine endometrial tissue, TGF-β1, α-SMA, FN, CTGF, Col- Ⅰ positive expression, and N-cadherin, Vimentin, and β-catenin proteins expression and positive expression were decreased(P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared with the EA group, the differences of the above-mentioned indicators in the ICG-001 group were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: EA may reverse the EMT process and reduce the degree of fibrosis in endometrial tissue by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby promoting the repair of endometrial damage in IUA.
目的: 观察电针对宫腔粘连（IUA）大鼠子宫内膜Wnt/β-连环蛋白（β-catenin）信号通路与上皮间质转化（EMT）相关蛋白的影响，探讨其修复IUA子宫内膜的可能机制。方法: 雌性SD大鼠随机分为空白组、模型组、电针组、ICG-001组，每组10只。采用机械搔刮联合脂多糖感染双重损伤法制备IUA模型。电针组针刺“关元”，电针双侧“足三里”“三阴交”，20 min/次，1次/d；ICG-001组腹腔注射β-catenin抑制剂ICG-001（5 mg/kg），1次/2 d；以上干预均连续进行3个动情周期。每组5只大鼠干预后取材，HE染色法观察IUA大鼠子宫内膜形态、子宫内膜厚度及腺体数目变化，Masson染色法观察子宫内膜组织纤维化程度，免疫组织化学法检测子宫内膜组织转化生长因子β1（TGF-β1）、α-平滑肌肌动蛋白（α-SMA）、纤维连接蛋白（FN）、结缔组织生长因子（CTGF）、Ⅰ型胶原蛋白（Col-Ⅰ）、糖原合酶激酶3β（GSK-3β）、β-catenin、E-钙粘蛋白（E-cadherin）、N-钙粘蛋白（N-cadherin）及波形蛋白（Vimentin）的阳性表达，Western blot法检测子宫内膜组织中GSK-3β、β-catenin、E-cadherin、N-cadherin及Vimentin蛋白相对表达量；每组剩余5只大鼠，干预后与雄鼠合笼，记录各组大鼠子宫胚胎着床数目。结果: HE染色示模型组子宫内膜组织部分坏死或缺失，电针组有所恢复，且较ICG-001组更好。与空白组相比，模型组大鼠子宫内膜组织腺体数目与子宫内膜厚度，子宫内膜组织中E-cadherin和GSK-3β蛋白表达与阳性表达降低（P<0.000 1，P<0.001，P<0.01），子宫内膜纤维化面积比值，子宫内膜组织中TGF-β1、α-SMA、FN、CTGF、Col-Ⅰ阳性表达，N-cadherin、Vimentin及β-catenin蛋白表达与阳性表达升高（P<0.000 1，P<0.001，P<0.01），胚胎着床数目减少（P<0.000 1）；与模型组相比，电针组与ICG-001组大鼠子宫内膜组织腺体数目与子宫内膜厚度，子宫内膜组织E-cadherin与GSK-3β蛋白表达及阳性表达升高（P<0.001，P<0.05，P<0.01），子宫内膜纤维化面积比值，子宫内膜组织TGF-β1、α-SMA、FN、CTGF、Col-Ⅰ阳性表达，N-cadherin、Vimentin、β-catenin蛋白表达与阳性表达降低（P<0.001，P<0.01，P<0.05），胚胎着床数目增多（P<0.001）；与电针组相比，ICG-001组以上指标差异均无统计学意义。结论: 电针可能通过抑制Wnt/β-catenin信号通路逆转EMT进程，降低内膜组织纤维化程度，从而促进IUA子宫内膜修复。.

Gastric carcinoma (GC) is one of the most fatal human malignancies globally, with a median survival time less than 1 year. E-cadherin exerts a crucial role in the development and progression of GC as an adhesive, invasive suppressor gene. Whether reduced E-cadherin has an impact on prognosis, clinicopathological features for GC has been well studied, but no conclusive results has been obtained.
Eligible studies and relevant data were obtained from PubMed, Elsevier, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases until June 30, 2023. A fixed- or random-effects model was used to calculate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Correlation of E-cadherin expression with overall survival (OS), clinicopathological features and risk factors were evaluated.
36 studies fulfilled the selected criteria. 9048 cases were included. This meta-analysis showed that patients with GC with reduced E-cadherin had unfavourable clinicopathological features and poor OS. The pooled ORs of one-, three- and five-year OS were 0.38 (n = 25 studies, 95%CI: 0.25-0.57, Z = 4.61, P < 0.00001), 0.33 (n = 25 studies, 95% CI: 0.23-0.47, Z = 6.22, P < 0.00001), 0.27 (n = 22 studies, 95% CI: 0.18-0.41, Z = 6.23, P < 0.00001), respectively. Moreover, reduced E-cadherin expression significantly correlated with differentiation grade (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.22-0.39, Z = 8.58, P < 0.00001), depth of invasion (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.36-0.66, Z = 4.58, P < 0.00001), lymphatic node metastasis (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.38-0.64, Z = 5.38, P < 0.00001), distant metastasis (OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.62-3.09, Z = 4.88, P < 0.00001), peritoneal metastasis (OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.39-3.39, Z = 3.40, P = 0.0007), TNM stage (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.28-0.61, Z = 4.44, P < 0.00001), lymphatic vessel invasion (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.11-2.82, Z = 2.39, P = 0.02), vascular invasion (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.22-1.96, Z = 3.58, P = 0.0003), Lauren type (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.21-0.57, Z = 4.14, P < 0.0001), Borrmann classification (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.25-0.99, Z = 1.97, P = 0.048) and tumor size (≥5 cm vs. <5 cm: OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.34-2.23, Z = 4.19, P < 0.0001; ≥6 cm vs. <6 cm: OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.51-3.49, Z = 3.87, P = 0.0001). No significant association was observed between reduced E-cadherin expression and liver metastasis, perineural invasion, alcohol consumption, smoking status, familial history, Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection.
The reduced expression of E-cadherin is significantly correlated with poor OS and unfavourable clinicopathological features in GC. The expression level of E-cadherin not only serves as a predictor for disease progression and prognosis in GC but also emerges as a novel therapeutic target.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of an adeno-associated virus (AAV2) vector expressing secretory transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) type Ⅱ receptor (sTβRⅡ) extracellular domain-IgG2a Fc fusion protein (sTβRⅡ-Fc) on proliferation and migration of triple-negative murine breast cancer 4T1 cells in mice.
METHODS: The pAAV-sTβRⅡ-Fc vector expressing sTβRⅡ-Fc fusion protein constructed by molecular cloning, the capsid protein-expressing vector pAAV2 and the helper vector were co-transfected into HEK 293T cells to prepare the recombinant AAV2-sTβRⅡ virus, which was purified by density gradient centrifugation with iodixanol. Western blotting was used to examine the effects of AAV-sTβRⅡ virus on Smad2/3 phosphorylation in 4T1 cells and on expression levels of E-cadherin, vimentin and p-Smad2/3 in 4T1 cell xenografts in mice. BALB/c mice bearing subcutaneous xenografts of luciferase-expressing 4T1 cells received intravenous injections of AAV-sTβRⅡ virus, AAV-GFP virus or PBS (n=6) through the tail vein, and the proliferation and migration of 4T1 cells were analyzed with in vivo imaging. Ki67 expression in the tumor tissues and sTβRⅡ protein expressions in mouse livers were detected with immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining, and tumor metastases in the vital organs were examined with HE staining.
RESULTS: The recombinant pAAV-sTβRⅡ-Fc vector successfully expressed sTβRⅡ in HEK 293T cells. Infection with AAV2-sTβRⅡ virus significantly reduced TGF-β1-induced Smad2/3 phosphorylation in 4T1 cells and effectively inhibited proliferation and lung metastasis of 4T1 xenografts in mice (P<0.05). In the tumor-bearing mice, intravenous injection of AAV-sTβRⅡ virus significantly increased E-cadherin expression, reduced vimentin and Ki67 protein expressions and Smad2/3 phosphorylation level in the tumor tissues (P<0.05 or 0.01), and induced liver-specific sTβRⅡ expression without causing body weight loss or heart, liver, spleen or kidney pathologies.
CONCLUSIONS: The recombinant AVV2 vector encoding sTβRⅡ extracellular domain is capable of blocking the TGF-β signaling pathway to inhibit the proliferation and lung metastasis of 4T1 cells in mice.

FAT1, a substantial transmembrane protein, plays a pivotal role in cellular adhesion and cell signaling. Numerous studies have documented frequent alterations in FAT1 across various cancer types, with its aberrant expression being linked to unfavorable survival rates and tumor progression. In the present investigation, we employed bioinformatic analyses, as well as in vitro and in vivo experiments to elucidate the functional significance of FAT1 in pan-cancer, with a primary focus on lung cancer. Our findings unveiled FAT1 overexpression in diverse cancer types, including lung cancer, concomitant with its association with an unfavorable prognosis. Furthermore, FAT1 is intricately involved in immune-related pathways and demonstrates a strong correlation with the expression of immune checkpoint genes. The suppression of FAT1 in lung cancer cells results in reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. These collective findings suggest that FAT1 has potential utility both as a biomarker and as a therapeutic target for lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have investigated the association between CDH1 polymorphisms and gastric cancer (GC) risk. However, the results have been inconsistent and controversial. To further determine whether CDH1 polymorphisms increase the risk of GC, we conducted a meta-analysis by pooling the data.
METHODS: Relevant case-control studies were collected from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane databases up to January 7, 2024. Subsequently, odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of correlations. A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness and reliability of these included studies.
RESULTS: A total of 25 articles including 44 studies, were included in this meta-analysis, including 26 studies on rs16260, 6 studies on rs3743674, 7 studies on rs5030625, and 5 studies on rs1801552. The pooled results showed that rs16260 was remarkably associated with an increased GC risk of GC among Caucasians. Moreover, the rs5030625 variation dramatically enhanced GC predisposition in the Asian population. However, no evident correlations between CDH1 rs3743674 and rs1801552 polymorphisms and GC risk were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that CDH1 gene polymorphisms were significantly correlated with GC risk, especially in rs16260 and rs5030625 polymorphisms.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNPs) are widely used in sunscreens and nanomedicines, and it was recently confirmed that ZNPs can penetrate stratum corneum into deep epidermis. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the impact of ZNPs on epidermis. In this study, ZNPs were applied to mouse skin at a relatively low concentration for one week. As a result, desmosomes in epidermal tissues were depolymerized, epidermal mechanical strain resistance was reduced, and the levels of desmosomal cadherins were decreased in cell membrane lysates and increased in cytoplasmic lysates. This finding suggested that ZNPs promote desmosomal cadherin endocytosis, which causes desmosome depolymerization. In further studies, ZNPs were proved to decrease mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity, activate transcription factor EB (TFEB), upregulate biogenesis of lysosome-related organelle complex 1 subunit 3 (BLOC1S3) and consequently promote desmosomal cadherin endocytosis. In addition, the key role of mTORC1 in ZNP-induced decrease in mechanical strain resistance was determined both in vitro and in vivo. It can be concluded that ZNPs reduce epidermal mechanical strain resistance by promoting desmosomal cadherin endocytosis via the mTORC1-TFEB-BLOC1S3 axis. This study helps elucidate the biological effects of ZNPs and suggests that ZNPs increase the risk of epidermal fragmentation.

Objective: To investigate the expression of DARS2 and its clinical significance in colorectal cancer. Methods: In this study, bioinformatics tools, especially gene expression profile interactive analysis 2 (GEPIA2), were used to conduct an in-depth analysis of DARS2 expression in colorectal cancer tissues. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out in 108 colorectal cancer specimens and 30 normal colorectal tissues obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. Colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT116 and SW480) were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) and DARS2 overexpression plasmid to examine the effects of DARS2 knockdown and overexpression on cell function. To assess the effects on cell function, CCK8 and transwell migration assays were used to assess proliferation and cell motility, respectively. Additionally, protein immunoblotting was employed to scrutinize the expression of proteins associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of colorectal cancer cells. Results: DARS2 exhibited a pronounced upregulation in expression within colorectal cancer tissues compared to their normal epithelial counterparts. Furthermore, DARS2 expression was higher in colorectal cancer of stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ than those of stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, exhibiting a significant correlation with N staging, M staging, and pathological staging (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier analyses showed a decreased overall survival rate in colorectal cancer with DARS2 expression compared to those without DARS2 expression (P<0.05). In the siRNA transfection group, there was a significant reduction in cell proliferation and migration (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). Conversely, the transfection of DARS2 overexpression plasmids substantially increased both cell proliferation and migration (P<0.05). Additionally, immunoblotting revealed that DARS2 knockdown led to an upregulation of E-cadherin expression and a downregulation of N-cadherin and vimentin expression. In contrast, DARS2 overexpression resulted in increased N-cadherin and vimentin expression, coupled with reduction in E-cadherin expression. Conclusions: There is a strong association between DARS2 expression and colorectal cancer progression. Silencing DARS2 inhibits cell proliferation and migration, exerting a discernible influence on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process.
目的： 探讨结直肠癌中DARS2的表达情况及其临床意义。 方法： 采用生物信息学工具基因表达谱交互分析版本2（gene expression profiling interactive analysis 2，GEPIA2）分析DARS2在结直肠癌组织中的表达情况。采用免疫组织化学方法检测南昌大学第一附属医院的108例结直肠癌组织和30例正常结直肠上皮组织中DARS2的表达情况。以结直肠癌细胞HCT116和SW480为研究对象，通过将小干扰RNA（siRNA）或DARS2过表达质粒转染到细胞中，以检测敲低和过表达DARS2对细胞功能的影响。使用CCK8检测试剂盒检测DARS2对结直肠癌细胞增殖能力的影响，Transwell小室迁移实验检测DARS2对结直肠癌细胞迁移能力的影响，使用蛋白质免疫印迹检测结直肠癌细胞中上皮-间质转化相关蛋白的表达。 结果： 与正常结直肠上皮组织相比，DARS2在结直肠癌组织中的表达显著上调。DARS2在Ⅲ~Ⅳ期结直肠癌组织表达较Ⅰ~Ⅱ期高，临床基线数据表明DARS2表达与N分期、M分期和病理分期相关（P<0.05）。Kaplan-Meier生存曲线分析显示，DARS2高表达的结直肠癌患者具有较低的总体生存率（P<0.05）。在siRNA转染组检测到细胞增殖能力显著下降（P<0.01），细胞迁移能力也显著下降（P<0.05），而在转染DARS2过表达质粒后细胞增殖和迁移能力均显著增强（P<0.05）。同时，蛋白质免疫印迹结果显示在敲低DARS2后，上皮相关分子E-cadherin的表达上调，而间质相关分子N-cadherin和波形蛋白的表达下调，而过表达DARS2后N-cadherin和波形蛋白的表达上调、E-cadherin的表达下调。 结论： DARS2高表达与结直肠癌进展相关，敲低DARS2可以抑制细胞增殖与迁移，并影响上皮-间质转化过程。.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for tumor invasion and many other cell-relevant processes. While much progress has been made about EMT, no report concerns the EMT of cells on topological biomaterial interfaces with significant nuclear deformation. Herein, we prepared a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) micropillar array with an appropriate dimension to enable significant deformation of cell nuclei and examined EMT of a human lung cancer epithelial cell (A549). We show that A549 cells undergo serious nuclear deformation on the micropillar array. The cells express more E-cadherin and less vimentin on the micropillar array than on the smooth surface. After transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) treatment, the expression of E-cadherin as an indicator of the epithelial phenotype is decreased and the expression of vimentin as an indicator of the mesenchymal phenotype is increased for the cells both on smooth surfaces and on micropillar arrays, indicating that EMT occurs even when the cell nuclei are deformed and the culture on the micropillar array more enhances the expression of vimentin. Expression of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 is reduced in the cells on the micropillar array, possibly affecting the turnover of myosin light chain phosphorylation and actin assembly; this makes cells on the micropillar array prefer the epithelial-like phenotype and more sensitive to TGF-β1. Overall, the micropillar array exhibits a promoting effect on the EMT.