Fig. 1: TDP-43 inhibits apoptosis and promotes proliferation in HCC cells.

Colony photographs (a, b) and colony formation efficiency (c) after transiently transfected with the displayed siRNAs or plasmids in SMMC-7721, MHCC97H and Huh-7 cells. Scale bar: 2 mm. Flow cytometry analysis of apoptosis in SMMC-7721 (d) or MHCC97H (e) cells after transient transfection with the displayed siRNAs for 48 h and the statistical graphs (including early, late and total apoptosis rates) (f). g Flow cytometry analysis of apoptosis in Huh-7 cells after transient transfection with the indicated plasmids for 48 h (left). The right panel is the statistical graphs (including early, late and total apoptosis rates). h qRT-PCR analysis for the mRNA levels of TDP-43, Bcl-2, Bax and p53. SMMC-7721 cells were transiently transfected with si-Control or si-TDP-43s for 48 h. The data was normalized to the mRNA level of GAPDH. i Western blot analysis for the protein level of Bax, C-caspase3, p53, Bcl-2, Ki67 and TDP-43. The SMMC-7721 and Huh-7 cells were transiently transfected with the displayed siRNAs or plasmids. MHCC97H-KD-TDP-43 and MHCC97H-Control cells were directly used to perform Western blot analysis. The values in the graphs represent the mean of three biologically independent experiments. Error bars represent ± s. d. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 by two-tailed Student’s t-test.