Effect of MOB2 knockout and overexpression on the expression of NDR1/2 and YAP in SMMC-7721 cells. (A) Protein expression of NDR1/2 pT444/442, NDR1/2, YAP pS127, YAP pS397 YAP and YAP were analyzed in SMMC7721 cells that overexpress MOB2 (LV-MOB2), MOB2-knocked out cells (LV-sgMOB2) and the corresponding vector controls (LV-C and LV-sgC, respectively) by western blotting. GAPDH was used as a loading control (n=3). Densitometric analysis of the fold expression levels of (B) pT444/442 of NDR1/2 compared with total NDR1/2 and (C) pS127YAP and pS397YAP compared with total YAP. Data represents the mean ± SD of three independent experiments. *P<0.05 vs. the corresponding blank vector control (LV-C or LV-sgC). mRNA levels of (D) CTGF and (E) CYR61, two well-characterized YAP target genes, were analyzed from the indicated cells using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and normalized to GAPDH expression. Data represents the mean ± SD (n=5). *P<0.05 vs. the corresponding blank vector control (LV-C or LV-sgC). MOB2, monopolar spindle-one-binder protein 2; NDR, nuclear-Dbf2-related kinase; YAP, yes-associated protein; p, phosphorylated; CTGF, connective tissue growth factor; CYR61, cysteine rich angiogenic inducer 61; LV-C, control lentivirus; LV-sgMOB2, MOB2-knockout cells; LV-MOB2, MOB2-overexpressing cells; LV-sgC, sgRNA control cells; sgRNA, single-guide RNA; SD, standard deviation.