Fig. 5

OPN modulates the properties of CD133+/CD44 + cells through regulating DNMT1. a When CD133+/CD44 + cells with shOPN were transfected with DNMT1 from Huh7 and Hep3B cells, 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