IGF2BP3 promotes HCC cell invasiveness by suppressing ZO-1 expression. (A) Western blot analysis of IGF2BP3 knockdown in HA22T cells. (B) Transwell invasion assays were performed using HA22T cells transfected with pLKO and IGF2BP3-shRNA. The invasive cells were counted and averaged from 3 randomly selected microscopic fields (magnification, ×10). Each sample was run in triplicate. Western blot analysis was performed on (C) HA22T cells transfected with pLKO and IGF2BP3-shRNA and (D) Huh-7 cells transfected with pWPI and IGF2BP3-cDNA. (E) Transwell invasion assays were performed using Huh-7 cells transfected with pWPI+pWPI, pWPI+oeZO-1, oeIGF2BP3+pWPI or oeIGF2BP3+oeZO-1. (F) All quantifications are shown, and are presented as the mean ± SD. *P≤0.05 and **P≤0.01. ns, not significant; IGF2BP3, insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 3; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; ZO-1, zonula occludens-1; sh, short hairpin (RNA); oe, overexpression; NC, negative control.