Skip to main content
. 2021 Mar 31;11(12):5759–5777. doi: 10.7150/thno.57659

Figure 2.

Figure 2

HOXB5 promotes HCC metastasis through upregulating FGFR4 expression in immunodeficient mice. (A) The diagram showed the genes regulated by HOXB5 changes. (B) RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to show FGFR4 level in the indicated cells. (C) Cells were co-transfected with luciferase construct containing FGFR4 promoter and pCMV-HOXB5 and Luciferase reporter activity was analyzed. (D) Luciferase activity was measured after the transfection of truncated and mutated FGFR4 promote and pCMV-HOXB5. (E) ChIP assays revealed the interacting of HOXB5 and FGFR4 promoter in HCC cells and in HCC specimens. (F) Western blotting showed HOXB5 and FGFR4 expression in PLC/PRF/5-HOXB5 transfected with LV-shcontrol or LV-shFGFR4 and in MHCC97H-shHOXB5 transfected with LV-control or LV-FGFR4. (G) Transwell showed the capability of migration and invasion in PLC/PRF/5-HOXB5 cells with downregulation of FGFR4 and in MHCC97H-shHOXB5 cell with FGFR4 overexpression. (H-K) In vivo assays exhibited that HOXB5 promoted HCC metastasis through upregulating FGFR4. (H) Bioluminescent images and grow rate were shown. (I) Lung metastatic nodules were counted. (J) Overall survival time of mice in different groups was shown. (K) Lung metastatic nodules in different groups were shown. * P < 0.05.