Fig. 5
AEP promotes GBM progression by cleaving Tmod3 in vitro and in vivo. A Soft agar colony formation assay of U87-MG and A172 cells with NC, AEP KD, AEP KD/tTmod3-N res, AEP KD/tTmod3-C res or AEP KD/tTmod3-N res/tTmod3-C res treatment. Scale bar, 100 μm. Triplicates in each group. B Colony formation rate of the indicated group of U87-MG and A172 cells; data are shown as the mean ± s.d. The P values of all statistical analyses were determined using a two-sided Student’s t-test, comparing the data of each group with the AEP KD group. C Transwell assay of U87-MG and A172 cells with NC, AEP KD, AEP KD/tTmod3-N res, AEP KD/tTmod3-C res, AEP KD/ tTmod3-N res/tTmod3-C res treatment. Scale bar, 100 μm. Triplicates in each group. D Cells/field are shown as the mean ± s.d. E Representative coronal MRI detection of xenograft GBM tumors orthotopically inoculated with U87-MG cells with NC, AEP KD, AEP KD/tTmod3-N res, AEP KD/tTmod3-C res, AEP KD/tTmod3-N res/tTmod3-C res treatment on 16th day postoperation (n = 8 per group). F Representative H&E images of every group are shown. Scale bar, 40 μm. G The tumor volume was calculated using the Coniglobus formula in every group (n = 8 per group). The data are presented as the mean ± s.d. H The weight of mice in the indicated groups on the day of MRI detection. I Kaplan–Meier survival plots analysis of the OS of mice in the indicated groups (n = 5 per group). Comparisons of survival curves were performed with Log-rank tests. NC = negative control, cells expressing scramble shRNA. KD = knockdown, cells expressing AEP shRNA. **P < 0.01, ****P < 0.0001, n.s. = no significance