HP1BP3 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and inhibits apoptosis in vitro in ESCC cell lines. A. Relative mRNA levels of HP1BP3 in HEEC and ESCC cell lines. B. Protein levels of HP1BP3 determined by western blot in HEEC and ESCC cell lines. C. Expression of HP1BP3 in TE-1 cells and stably expressing either non-targeting shRNA control (shNC) or shRNA knockdown of HP1BP3, and in Eca-109 cells stably expressing either HP1BP3 overexpression construct or control vector construct (EV). D. Cell viability measured by MTT assay in HP1BP3-silenced TE-1 cells or HP1BP3-overexpressing Eca-109 cells. E. Representative images and quantification of the number of colonies determined by colony formation assay upon overexpression or knockdown of HP1BP3. F. Apoptosis was induced in HP1BP3-silenced TE-1 cells or HP1BP3-overexpressing Eca-109 cells by serum starvation for 24 hrs. The percentage of apoptotic cells was determined by flow cytometry using annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide (PI) staining. G. Representative images of crystal violet stained cells after transwell migration or Matrigel invasion. Histogram depicting the quantification of cell numbers for each condition. All cell assays were performed in triplicates. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001.