MTFR2 knockdown inhibits CRC cell proliferation. (A) mRNA and (B) protein expression levels of MTFR2 in CRC and the HIEC-6 cell lines were analyzed by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. ***P<0.001 vs. HIEC-6. (C) mRNA and (D) protein expression levels of MTFR2 in HCT116 cells transfected with sh-MTFR2-1/2 were analyzed by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. (E) Cell proliferation and (F) clone formation ability of HCT116 cells transfected with sh-MTFR2-1 were determined by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and clone formation assay, respectively. *P<0.05 and ***P<0.001 vs. control group; #P<0.05, ##P<0.01 and ###P<0.001 vs. sh-NC group; @@@P<0.001 vs. sh-MTFR2-1 group. MTFR2, mitochondrial fission regulator 2; CRC, colorectal cancer; RT-qPCR, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR; sh, short hairpin RNA; NC, negative control.