Fig. 7: DCAF1 promotes cancer cell survival and protects cancer cell from glucose deprivation-induced cell death.

A, B DCAF1 promotes cell survival under glucose deprivation. Huh7, HCT116, and EC109 cells with stable overexpression of DCAF1 (Lv-Flag-DCAF1) and its counterpart (Lv-EGFP) were cultured in glucose-free medium for 24 h. Cell proliferation was detected by EdU staining, and representative pictures are shown in panel A. Scale bars: 200 μm. Statistical analysis is shown in panel B. C, D DCAF1 protects cancer cells from cell death induced by glucose deprivation. Stable Lv-Flag-DCAF1 or control Lv-EGFP cells were cultured in glucose-free medium for 24 h. Cells were collected for apoptotic analysis using Annexin V-APC/7-AAD double staining FACS (C) and IB analysis (D). E–H NR1 and rapamycin protect cancer cells from cell death induced by glucose deprivation. Huh7, HCT116, and EC109 cells were cultured in glucose-free medium and treated with NR1 (E, F) or rapamycin (G, H) for 24 h. Apoptosis was analyzed using Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining FACS (E, G) and IB analysis (F, H). I, J Silencing DCAF1 promotes glucose deprivation-induced cell death. Stable sgDCAF1 or control sgControl cells were cultured in normal glucose or glucose-free medium for 18 h. Apoptosis was analyzed using Annexin V-APC/7-AAD double staining FACS (I) and IB analysis (J). Data are represented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05 by Student’s t test (B, C, E, G, and I). All data were representative of at least three independent experiments (n = 3).