Figure 2 | Scientific Reports

Figure 2

From: Exosomes from metastatic cancer cells transfer amoeboid phenotype to non-metastatic cells and increase endothelial permeability: their emerging role in tumor heterogeneity

Figure 2

Exosomes released by metastatic cells affect morphological properties of less aggressive tumor cells. Scanning electron microscopy shows the spreading-elongated morphology of SW480 (A) and the round-blebbed morphology of SW620 cells (B). Confocal micrographs display the different morphology between elongated SW480 (C) and amoeboid SW620 cells (D) characterized by membrane blebbling (highlighted by magnification). (E,F) SW480 cells treated for 3 hrs with 20 µg/ml of PKH26-labeled SW480Exos (E) and SW620Exos (F). Exosomes are visible as red dots inside cells. Magnification highlights round cells with membrane blebs in SW480 cells after treatment with SW620Exos. Both SW480 and SW620 cells were stained with Actin green (green); nuclear counterstaining was performed using Hoescht (blue). (G) Percentage of blebbing cells after exosome treatment and in control condition. The percentage of blebbing cells was obtained by counting 10 different fields for each condition. Values are the mean ± SD of three independent experiments. Significant differences were calculated in comparison to no-treated SW480 cells: *p ≤ 0.05.

Back to article page