Total RNA was isolated from cells using TRIzol reagent (TaKaRa). Reverse transcription was performed using the PrimeScript™ RT Reagent Kit (TaKaRa) and gDNA Eraser (Perfect Real Time) according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was performed using the SYBR Premix Ex Taq (Tli RNase H Plus) system on an ABI Step One Plus machine (Applied Biosystems). The experiments were performed in triplicate, and the values were normalized to that of GAPDH. For absolute qPCR, the standard curves were generated using coding regions of SNAI1, SNAI2 and JUNB as described by Denzler et al. (22 (link)). The primer sequences are as follows: ETS2 qPCR fwd, CCCCTGTGGCTAACAGTTACA; ETS2 qPCR rev, AGGTAGCTTTTAAGGCTTGACTC; HNF4A qPCR fwd, CACGGGCAAACACTACGGT; HNF4A qPCR rev, TTGACCTTCGAGTGCTGATCC; JUNB qPCR fwd, ACAAACTCCTGAAACCGAGCC; JUNB qPCR rev, CGAGCCCTGACCAGAAAAGTA; FOXP1 qPCR fwd, TGGCATCTCATAAACCATCAGC; FOXP1 qPCR rev, GGTCCACTCATCTTCGTCTCAG; CDH1 qPCR fwd, TCAGGCGTCTGTAGAGGCTT; CDH1 qPCR rev, ATGCACATCCTTCGATAAGACTG; CDH2 qPCR fwd, ACAGTGGCCACCTACAAAGG; CDH2 qPCR rev, CCGAGATGGGGTTGATAATG; SNAI1 qPCR fwd, GGCCCACCTCCAGACCCACT; SNAI1 qPCR rev, GCGGGGACATCCTGAGCAGC; SNAI2 qPCR fwd, TGTGACAAGGAATATGTGAGCC; SNAI2 qPCR rev, TGAGCCCTCAGATTTGACCTG; GAPDH qPCR fwd, GAGTCAACGGATTTGGTCGT; GAPDH qPCR rev, GATCTCGCTCCTGGAAGATG.