Figure 7: PAF1 behaves as the master regulator of stem cell maintenance.
A. RT2 profiler PCR array analysis of human transcription factors in SW1990 SP control and PAF1-depleted cells. Upregulated genes are indicated in red, and genes significantly downregulated upon PAF1 depletion are indicated in green. Genes encircled in red were validated using qRT PCR. B. Representative network of significantly downregulated pathways upon PAF1 loss in SW1990 SP cells, derived from ingenuity pathway analysis of downregulated genes from PCR array and RNA-Seq. C. Heatmap representing genes significantly downregulated upon PAF1 depletion in CSCs, and expression pattern of stemness genes in control and PAF1-depleted CSCs. D. Schematic illustration of the mechanism of PAF1-mediated maintenance of pancreatic CSCs. PAF1, PHF5A, and DDX3 are upregulated in PC and form a sub-complex that supports pancreatic CSCs. Depletion of PAF1 results in a decreased percentage of CSCs, reduced tumorigenesis and impaired tumor sphere formation.