Fig. 6
Combined DCX/MET treatment enhances invasive potential of DCX-resistant PC-3 cells. A Displacement of PC-3 WT and DCX-resistant PC-3_DCX20 cells was estimated with time-lapse videomicroscopy immediately after the administration of DCX (2.5 nM) and/or MET (10 mM; cf. Additional file 1: Figs. S1 and S4, left panel) or after 48-h-long treatment (right panel). B Invasiveness of DCX and/or MET treated cells estimated with Transwell migration assay. C Snail-1 expression and localization in PC-3 WT/PC-3_DCX20 cells cultivated in the presence of (2.5 nM) and/or MET (10 mM) [Snail-1 (green), DNA (blue)]. D, E Cx43 levels and intracellular localization in DCX- and/or MET-treated cells estimated with immunoblotting (D, β-tubulin was used as a reference protein) and immunofluorescence (E; Cx43: yellow, DNA: blue). F GJIC estimated with calcein transfer assay in the absence/presence of AGA (α-glycyrrhetinic acid; 25 μM). Coupling index/ratio represents the percentage of coupled donor cells. The statistical significance of the differences was tested with Student’s t-test; #P ≤ 0.05 versus untreated control; *P ≤ 0.05 as indicated in the charts. All results are representative of at least three independent experiments (N ≥ 3). Error bars represent SEM. Note increased invasiveness of Snail-1/Cx43high cells after DCX/MET