(176ad) Cell Cycle Progression Drives the Transitions between Epithelial and Mesenchymal Phenotypes

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) are two critical phenotype transitions during cancer metastasis, whose their molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we used non-tumorigenic human mammary MCF10A cells and mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts to demonstrate conclusively that the phenotype transitions are naturally embedded in the cell cycle progression, where the G1-phase and S-phase cells exhibit contrasting mesenchymal-like and epithelial-like behaviors respectively. By combining quantitative studies in cell motility, polarity, and morphology in different stages of the cell cycle and their underlying critical regulators, we identified correspondence between cell cycle phases and cell phenotypes in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. These results establish the foundation of a cell-cycle-driven EMT/MET mechanism in cancer metastasis.