CD44v6+ Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Maintain Stemness Properties through Met/cJun/Nanog Signaling

Figure 3

The HGF/MET signaling pathway activates Nanog expression in CD44v6+ HCC cells. (a) Silencing Met decreased the expression of stemness relative genes, including Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog in CD44v6+ SNU-398 cells. β-Actin was used as a normalized control. (b) The expression of EMT-related genes, including Snail1, Slug, and Twist in CD44v6+ SNU-398 cells. β-Actin was used as a normalized control. (c) Western blot showed that silencing Met decreased the expression of Nanog in CD44v6+ cells. But LvNanog did not affect the Met expression. β-Actin was used as a normalized control. (d) of cells were injected into the left lobes of the liver. Bioluminescence signals from Met shRNA groups were weaker than that from corresponding control groups. But overexpressed Nanog could rescue the bioluminescence signals. The central luminescence intensity: vs. ; , ; -test. The representative images of Ki67 immunohistochemistry. Scale bar, 50 μm. (e) The representative images of spheres and histogram analysis in indicated cells. Scale bar, 200 μm. (f) and (g) transwell migration and invasion assays showed the knockdown of Met decreased the migration and invasion of CD44v6+ cells, while overexpressed Nanog could rescue the migration and invasion ability. Scale bar, 200 μm. , , ; -test.

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