Ith DpnI (1 hour at 37uC) and transformed into E-coli competent cells (Stratagene). All mutated plasmids were checked by sequencing and primer sequences are also listed in Table S2.Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) AssayFor chromatin immunoprecipitation of the endogenous CDH3 promoter regions in MCF-7/AZ cells, the ChIP-ITTM kit (Active Motif) was 
used and the assay was performed according with theC/EBPb Targets CDH3 Gene in Breast Cancer CellsC/EBPb Targets CDH3 Gene in Breast Cancer Autophagy CellsFigure 1. Association and regulatory interplay between C/EBPb and CDH3/P-cadherin expression in breast cancer cells. A) Double immunostaining for C/EBPb and P-cadherin of an invasive breast carcinoma specimen (basal-like carcinoma, histological grade III), where it can be observed C/EBPb expression in the nuclei and P-cadherin at the cell membrane of tumour cells (magnification 6200 and 6400-inset); a haematoxylineosin staining of this same case is shown to ascertain tissue integrity (magnification 6100); B) Using C/EBPb-targeted siRNA, a consequent reduction of P-cadherin protein levels was observed in both MCF-7/AZ and BT-20 breast cancer cell lines; C) MCF-7/AZ cells transiently transfected with the different C/EBPb isoforms (LAP1, LAP2 and LIP) displayed upregulation of P-cadherin protein levels only after induction of the C/EBPb-LIP isoform; D) Luciferase reporter assays performed in cells transfected with the different C/EBPb isoforms showed that the promoter activation induced by LIP and LAP1 isoforms was significantly greater compared with the activation induced by LAP2. The co-transfection of both LIP and each LAP1 or LAP2 induced the activation of the CDH3 promoter in an additive manner. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055749.gin order to decipher which C/EBPb isoform was more relevant for P-cadherin activation, the expression of LAP1, LAP2 and LIP was induced in both breast cancer cell lines. As shown in Figure 1C, only C/EBPb-LIP isoform was able to induce P-cadherin expression in more than 1.5-fold increase in MCF-7/AZ cells, while the remaining isoforms did not produce valuable effects on P-cadherin expression. This result was not found for BT-20 cells, probably due to their high basal levels of P-cadherin expression (data not shown). Interestingly, in a previous study performed by our group, we found that the CDH3/P-cadherin promoter activation induced by the LIP isoform was significantly greater compared with the activation induced by LAP1 and LAP2 [18]. However, in the present study, this same experiment has been performed and, although the same significant result was observed at the promoter level for LIP (p = 0.00079), the CDH3 promoter was also strongly and significantly activated by LAP1 (p = 0.00002) and less prominently, but also in a significant way, by LAP2 (p = 0.00032) (Figure 1D). Nevertheless, since it has been described that LIP can function as a dominant negative inhibitor of both LAP’s activity [5], we decided to co-transfect both LIP and each LAP1 or LAP2 , in order to study their combined effect on CDH3 promoter activity. The results showed that there is a significant increased activation of the promoter with any of the combinations compared with LAP1 or LAP2 alone, demonstrating that there is an additive effect of both isoforms (p = 0.00164 and p = 0.00024, respectively) on CDH3 promoter activation, when added to LIP.the results, since there was precipitation with the C/EBPb antibody in all the binding sites studied, in.Ith DpnI (1 hour at 37uC) and transformed into E-coli competent cells (Stratagene). All mutated plasmids were checked by sequencing and primer sequences are also listed in Table S2.Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) AssayFor chromatin immunoprecipitation of the endogenous CDH3 promoter regions in MCF-7/AZ cells, the ChIP-ITTM kit (Active Motif) was used and the assay was performed according with theC/EBPb Targets CDH3 Gene in Breast Cancer CellsC/EBPb Targets CDH3 Gene in Breast Cancer CellsFigure 1. Association and regulatory interplay between C/EBPb and CDH3/P-cadherin expression in breast cancer cells. A) Double immunostaining for C/EBPb and P-cadherin of an invasive breast carcinoma specimen (basal-like carcinoma, histological grade III), where it can be observed C/EBPb expression in the nuclei and P-cadherin at the cell membrane of tumour cells (magnification 6200 and 6400-inset); a haematoxylineosin staining of this same case is shown to ascertain tissue integrity (magnification 6100); B) Using C/EBPb-targeted siRNA, a consequent reduction of P-cadherin protein levels was observed in both MCF-7/AZ and BT-20 breast cancer cell lines; C) MCF-7/AZ cells transiently transfected with the different C/EBPb isoforms (LAP1, LAP2 and LIP) displayed upregulation of P-cadherin protein levels only after induction of the C/EBPb-LIP isoform; D) Luciferase reporter assays performed in cells transfected with the different C/EBPb isoforms showed that the promoter activation induced by LIP and LAP1 isoforms was significantly greater compared with the activation induced by LAP2. The co-transfection of both LIP and each LAP1 or LAP2 induced the activation of the CDH3 promoter in an additive manner. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055749.gin order to decipher which C/EBPb isoform was more relevant for P-cadherin activation, the expression of LAP1, LAP2 and LIP was induced in both breast cancer cell lines. As shown in Figure 1C, only C/EBPb-LIP isoform was able to induce P-cadherin expression in more than 1.5-fold increase in MCF-7/AZ cells, while the remaining isoforms did not produce valuable effects on P-cadherin expression. This result was not found for BT-20 cells, probably due to their high basal levels of P-cadherin expression (data not shown). Interestingly, in a previous study performed by our group, we found that the CDH3/P-cadherin promoter activation induced by the LIP isoform was significantly greater compared with the activation induced by LAP1 and LAP2 [18]. However, in the present study, this same experiment has been performed and, although the same significant result was observed at the promoter level for LIP (p = 0.00079), the CDH3 promoter was also strongly and significantly activated by LAP1 (p = 0.00002) and less prominently, but also in a significant way, by LAP2 (p = 0.00032) (Figure 1D). Nevertheless, since it has been described that LIP can function as a dominant negative inhibitor of both LAP’s activity [5], we decided to co-transfect both LIP and each LAP1 or LAP2 , in order to study their 
combined effect on CDH3 promoter activity. The results showed that there is a significant increased activation of the promoter with any of the combinations compared with LAP1 or LAP2 alone, demonstrating that there is an additive effect of both isoforms (p = 0.00164 and p = 0.00024, respectively) on CDH3 promoter activation, when added to LIP.the results, since there was precipitation with the C/EBPb antibody in all the binding sites studied, in.
