Fig. 5

OPN modulates the properties of CD133+/CD44+ cells through regulating DNMT1. a When CD133+/CD44+ cells with shOPN was transfected with DNMT1 from Huh7 and Hep3B, the ability of sphere forming was rescued compared to the shOPN group, 40X. b The expression of indicated genes down regulated in CD133+/CD44+ cells from Huh7 and Hep3B transfected with shOPN compared to the control, were reversed in part by DNMT1 transfection. c The number of spheres formed by CD133+/CD44+ cells with EV, CD133+/CD44+ cells with OPN and CD133+/CD44+ cells with OPN treated by 5 Aza, **, p < 0.01, ***, p < 0.001. d The number of spheres formed by CD133+/CD44+ cells with EV/SCR, CD133+/CD44+ cells with OPN/SCR and CD133+/CD44+ cells with OPN/shDNMT1, **, p < 0.01. e CD133+/CD44+ SCR/EV, CD133+/CD44+ shOPN/EV and CD133+/CD44+ cells shOPN/DNMT1 from Huh7 were injected subcutaneously into the mice, and recorded the time of tumor initiation, tumor weight and tumor volume, **, p < 0.01, ***, p < 0.001, NS, no significance. f IHC staining of stemness-related markers, OCT4 and Nanog in the tumor tissues derived from CD133+/CD44+ cells with SCR/EV or shOPN/EV or shOPN/DNMT1