Fig. 5: ST3GAL1 silencing decreases in vivo melanoma metastasis.

a Schematic representation of the in vivo xenograft experiment. A375 M6 melanoma cells were transduced with LV-c, LV-shST3GAL1.1, or LV-ST3GAL1 and injected subcutaneously into the flank of athymic nude mice (n = 8 per group). b Representative western blot of ST3GAL1 in A375 M6 cells used for injection in mice. HSP90 was used as loading control. c Primary tumor growth of A375 M6 cells transduced with LV-c, LV-shST3GAL1.1, or LV-ST3GAL1. Data are represented as mean ± s.d (p = 0.0124, day 20 LV-c vs LV-shST3GAL1; LV-c n = 7, LV-shST3GAL1 n = 7, LV-ST3GAL1 n = 8). d Tumor weight at the time of resection of the primary tumor (LV-c n = 8, LV-ST3GAL1 n = 8, LV-shST3GAL1 n = 7). e Relative number of GFP + circulating melanoma cells in the blood (n = 8 independent animals). Data are represented as mean ± s.d. P value was calculated by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test; ns not significant. f Representative images of whole body in vivo BLI of mice injected with A375 M6 transduced as indicated at day 45 post-injection (three weeks post-resection of lateral tumors). g Intensity of ROI measured by in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) at 45 days post-injection (LV-c n = 8, LV-ST3GAL1 n = 8, and LV-shST3GAL1 n = 7). h Quantification of lung metastases (LV-c n = 8, LV-ST3GAL1 n = 7, and LV-shST3GAL1 n = 6). Data in panels c, d, g, and h are represented as mean ± s.d and P value was calculated by ANOVA and Tukey’s test (c, d, h) or ANOVA and Dunnett’s test (g); ns not significant. i Representative bright-field microscopic images of lung metastases from lung serial sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin (left panels) or immunostained with GFP (right panels) (LV-c n = 8, LV-ST3GAL1 n = 7, and LV-shST3GAL1 n = 6) as shown in h. Scale bar 150 μm. Source data are provided as Source Data file.