Fig. 8

RIT1 expression positively correlates with PDS5 and SMC3 in HCC tissues. A Correlation of mRNA level of RIT1 with PDS5A/B and SMC3 in TCGA LIHC dataset. B Western blot analysis of RIT1, PDS5A/B, acetylated-SMC3, and total SMC3 in HCC tissues from our lab (left). Spearman correlation analysis was performed between RIT1 and PDS5A/B, acetylated-SMC3, total SMC3 expression (right). C Representative IHC staining images of concurrent high or low RIT1/SMC3 expression in 201 HCC tissue samples. Spearman correlation analysis of RIT1 and SMC3 expression was performed (R = 0.319, P < 0.001). Scale bars, 200 μm. D Kaplan-Meier survival curves for 99 HCC patients with RIT1 high expression classified by high or low expression of SMC3 expression according to IHC results; HR, Hazard Ratio. E A schema showing that RIT1 regulates mitosis and promotes proliferation by interacting with SMC3 and PDS5 in HCC. With a high level of RIT1 in HCC, RIT1 binds with PDS5 and SMC3, which protects and maintains the acetylation of SMC3 during mitosis. HCC cells undergo successful and rapid mitosis, leading to tumor growth in HCC (left). A low level of RIT1 in HCC or knockdown of RIT1 leads to a reduction of the acetylation level of SMC3, resulting in mitotic catastrophe in HCC (right)