Journal: Experimental & Molecular Medicine
Article Title: T-cell immune regulator 1 enhances metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma
doi: 10.1038/emm.2017.166
Figure Lengend Snippet: TCIRG1 knockdown has anti-tumorigenic effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. ( a ) qRT-PCR analysis of TCIRG1 in 14 hepatic cell lines, including two normal (THLE3 and MIHA) and 12 hepatoma cell lines (Hep3B, HepG2, Huh7, PLC/PRF/5, SK-Hep1, SNU354, SNU368, SNU387, SNU398, SNU423, SNU449 and SNU475). Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used for normalization (mean±s.d.; n =3, ** P <0.01; *** P <0.001). ( b ) Endogenous protein expression of TCIRG1 in hepatic cell lines was analyzed by western blotting. GAPDH was used as a loading control, and the numbers under the blot indicate the relative expression level of each protein. ( c ) Clonogenic assays were performed in SNU475 and Huh7 cell lines. Upper panel: representative images of colonies. Lower panel: the data from three randomly selected images shown in the form of a graph (mean±s.d.; n =3, * P <0.05, ** P <0.01). ( d ) SNU475 and Huh7 cell lines were transfected with negative-control siRNA or TCIRG1-specific siRNA. Cell number was determined using trypan blue-based cell counting (mean±s.d., n =3, ** P <0.01). ( e ) SNU475 and Huh7 cell lines were transfected with negative-control siRNA or TCIRG1-specific siRNA. Cell growth was measured by the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. ( f ) Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assays were carried out using SNU475 and Huh7 cell lines (mean±s.d.; n =3, * P <0.05, ** P <0.01). ( g ) Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis was conducted after negative-control siRNA or TCIRG1-specific siRNA transfection. When TCIRG1 was knocked down, G1/S arrest was observed in SNU475 and Huh7 cell lines. The percentage indicates the distribution of cells in the different phases of cell cycle (mean±s.d., n =3, * P <0.05). ( h ) Negative-control siRNA (NC) or TCIRG1-specific siRNA (siTCIRG1) were transfected into cells. FACS analysis was performed using PI and Annexin V staining. The bar graphs indicate the percentage of annexin V-positive cells (mean±s.d., n =3, * P <0.05). ( i ) Following transfection, cells were treated with 3-MA (5 m M ), and FACS analysis was performed. The bar graph indicates the percentage of Annexin V negative and PI-positive cells (mean±s.d., n =3, *** P <0.001).
Article Snippet: The THLE3 normal liver cell line was purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, VA, USA), and the immortalized human hepatocyte line MIHA was kindly provided by Dr Roy-Chowdhury (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA).
Techniques: Knockdown, Quantitative RT-PCR, Expressing, Western Blot, Control, Transfection, Negative Control, Cell Counting, BrdU Incorporation Assay, Fluorescence, FACS, Staining