In this image of the month, we focus on the transcription factor SNAI1, one of the major drivers of EMT. EMT is the cellular process during which epithelial cells loosen their connections with neighboring cells and modify their interactions with the extracellular matrix, thus acquiring mesenchymal traits and a more motile phenotype. EMT is crucial for the formation of tissues and organs during embryogenesis, however in the disease context, the same process is also associated with fibrosis, cancer progression and metastasis (Nieto et al, 2016 )...Read more

A recent addition to the single cell type section are the ciliated cells in the fallopian tubes. Ciliated cells in the fallopian tube play an important role in the female reproductive system, facilitating successful fertilization and transport of gametes. This time, we focus on the elevated expression of the genes forkhead box J1 (FOXJ1) and dynein axonemal intermediate chain 2 (DNAI2)...Read more

In a study published in Nature Communications, the expression of all human protein-coding genes in more than 1,000 human cell lines representing 27 cancer types was investigated using genome-wide transcriptomics analysis...Read more

In this image of the month we focus on the microtubules and the protein CAMSAP2. Microtubules are filaments that, together with the other components of the cytoskeleton, provide structure and shape to our cells. They also play important roles in intracellular transport, cell division, as well as the formation of cilia and flagella. Microtubules are formed by the polymerization and lateral association of alpha - and beta-tubulin proteins into a hollow tubelike filament. Due to the end-to-end linear arrangement of the α- and β-tubulin dimers the filaments have a polarity, which is crucial for their dynamics and their biological functions ( Akhmanova and Steinmetz, 2015)...Read more