"Ectopic expression" refers to a situation in which a gene or protein is produced in the wrong place in an organism. Instead of being expressed in its usual or intended location, it is created in a different location. Full definition
As shown in Fig. 4B, suppressive ability of miR - 7 on both transmigration through endothelial cells and Matrigel was significantly attenuated by ectopic expression of KLF4, suggesting that miR - 7 suppresses invasive ability of CSCs by blocking KLF4 expression. (cancerres.aacrjournals.org)
Furthermore, the growth rate is delayed by ectopic expression of DDX3 (see Fig. 1B). (cancerres.aacrjournals.org)
To evaluate whether KLF4 regulates the self - renewal of CSCs, we conducted fluorescence - activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of 231BrM cells with or without ectopic expression of KLF4 followed by sorting the cells using the CSCs markers (CD24, CD44, and ESA). (cancerres.aacrjournals.org)