Fig. 6

SLC39A6 promotes the EMT phenotype and inhibition of SLC39A6 expression diminished invasion capacity of Eca109 and EC9706 cells. a SLC39A6-siRNA was transfected into Eca109 and EC9706 cells for 72 h and cells were harvested for an immunoblot analysis of vimentin and E-cadherin. Silencing SLC39A6 was accompanied by the increased expression of E-cadherin and loss of vimentin, which are all hallmarks of EMT markers. Knockdown of SLC39A6 results in morphological changes in Eca109 cell. b Photographs were taken using a Nikon microscope (phase contrast). Original magnification ×200. c Cell invasion assay was performed using Matrigel-coated transwell plates for Eca109 and EC9706 cells. Knockdown of SLC39A6 significantly reduced cell invasiveness in the two esophageal cancer cell lines compared with that in SLC39A6-siRNA controls. d The relative percentage of cells passing through a Matrigel filter (**p < 0.01). All experiments were performed at least three times with consistent and repeatable results