Fig 2: Expression of EMT markers in LCN2-overexpressing cervical cancer cell(A) Immunofluorescence detection of LCN2, Snail, Twist, N-cadherin and fibronectin expression in LCN2-overexpressing and control C33A cells. (B) Schematic depiction of LCN2 promotion of cervical cancer cell metastasis and cancer progression through EMT by modulation of the EMT markers Snail, Twist, N-cadherin, and fibronectin.

Fig 3: Interaction of HIV1 Tat and Tat-interacting protein 30 (TIP30) promotes the nuclear translocation of Snail. (A) Human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells were transfected with a combination of either vector/TIP30/importin-ß plasmids or HIV1 Tat-Flag/TIP30/importin-ß plasmids. Immunoprecipitation was performed using anti-IgG or anti-TIP30 antibodies. The levels of the indicated proteins were examined by western blotting. (B) HEK293 cells were transfected with a combination of either vector/Snail/importin-ß plasmids or TIP30/Snail/importin-ß plasmids. Immunoprecipitation was performed using anti-IgG or anti-importin-ß antibodies. The levels of the indicated proteins were examined by western blotting. (C) Western blotting was performed to examine the expression of the indicated proteins in the cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions of the scrambled and TIP30 knockdown stable clones of A549 cells. (D) Representative confocal images of the subcellular localization of Snail in the scrambled and TIP30 knockdown stable clones of A549 cells. (E) Representative confocal images of the subcellular localization of Snail in the vector and Tat-Flag-overexpressed stable clones of A549 cells. (F) Representative confocal images of the subcellular localization of Snail in the vector and TIP30, and a combination of TIP30 and Tat-Flag-overexpressed stable clones of H358 cells. *P < .05

Fig 4: LCN2 promotes cervical cancer cell migration and invasion in vivo(A) Upper panel: Images depicting lung tumor foci of C33A-control and C33A-LCN2 cells. Lower panel: Quantification of metastatic foci in lungs. (B) Upper panel: Tumor foci in C33A-control and C33A-LCN2 cells examined using H & E staining. Lower panel: LCN2, Snail, Twist, N-cadherin and fibronectin protein levels in C33A-control and C33A-LCN2 cells determined by IHC. Differences were analyzed using a Mann–Whitney U test (*P < 0.05).

Fig 5: CCL7 knockdown suppresses EMT and mobility of LUAD cells. mRNA (a) and protein (b) levels of CCL7 in H1299, A549, H358 (low-invasive), and H125 (high-invasive) cells detected by qPCR and WB analyses; mRNA (c) and protein (d) levels of CCL7 in A549 and H125 cells after overexpression plasmid or shRNA transfection determined by qPCR and WB analyses; mRNA (e) and protein (f) levels of epithelial marker ZO-1 and mesenchymal markers Twist1, Snai1, and Slug in A549 and H125 cells examined by qPCR and WB analyses; (g) 24-h migration rate of A549 and H125 cells analyzed by the scratch test; (h) invasiveness of A549 and H125 cells analyzed by Transwell assay. Repetition = 3. **p < 0.01.