Figure 3.

Expression of hepatocyte lineage markers HNF-4α and HNF-1α in HCC cell line correlate with low motility. (a)Selective expression of HNF-4α and HNF-1α in AFP+ HCC cell lines. Total RNAs were extracted from cells and used for RT-PCR analysis of HNF-4α and HNF-1α expression. GAPDH RT-PCR was used as a loading control. (b. c) Differential motility of AFP+ and AFP- HCC cell lines. Cells were cultured in six-well culture plates, and a single linear wound was made with a pipette tip in confluent monolayer cells. The distances between wound edges were measured at fixed points in each dish according to standardized template. After 24 hours migration, cell migration into the wound was visualized using phase contrast microscopy at ×20 magnification (b). The number of cells migrating beyond the wound edge was counted (c). Assays in six replicates, error bars; SD. SNU475 cells are larger cells giving rise to visual overestimation of migrating cell number in the picture shown in b.