Fig. 4: Gal2 disruption promoted the colon tumor growth.

A Relative LGALS2 transcript expression in normal human colons and colon tumors of patients (data obtained from GTEx and TCGA consortium, respectively). COAD colon adenocarcinoma, READ rectum adenocarcinoma. B Experimental scheme used to induce colon cancer in WT and Gal2-KO mice. AOM was given by i.p. injection, and DSS (3%) was given in drinking water. A consecutive 7-day DSS followed by 2 weeks of regular drinking water is considered as one cycle and the mice were treated for three cycles. C Changes in body mass of the mice over the course of the study. D The representative images of colon tumors from WT and Gal2-KO mice. E Number of tumors in WT and Gal2-KO mice induced by AOM and DSS treatment. F Mean tumor size in WT and Gal2-KO mice treated with AOM and DSS. G H&E staining of control colon and tumor tissues of WT and Gal2-KO mice. Scale bar: 100 µm. H CD11b and DAPI immunofluorescence staining images of colon tissues from WT and Gal2-KO mice with or without tumor induction. Scale bar: 100 µm. I Quantification of CD11b⁺ cells in colon tissues from WT and Gal2-KO mice with or without tumor induction. ns not statistically significant; *p < 0.05 (t-test for E and F; one-way ANOVA for I).