FIGURE 5

GRP78 decreases breast cancer chemosensitivity possibly via autophagy induction of breast CSCs. (A) Western blotting verified the expressions of GRP78, LC3, P62, β-catenin, ABCG2, GSK-3β, P-GSK-3β, AKT and P-AKT in MDA-MB-231 cells before or after the indicated transfection. (B) CCK8 assay detected the cell proliferation in GRP78^high and GRP78^low MDA-MB-231 cells with or without taxol administration. All values represent the means ± SD (n = 3, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Vec group; ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01 vs. shCtrl group). (C) Colony formation assay was performed to evaluate the long-term inhibitory effects of ADQ on GRP78^high and GRP78^low MDA-MB-231 cells. All values represent the means ± SD (n = 3, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Control group). (D) Sphere-forming assay in MDA-MB-231 CSCs before or after the indicated transfection. All values represent the means ± SD (n = 3, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Control group). (E) Fluorescence photographs of autophagic flux transfected with an LC3-GFP-mRFP reporter in GRP78^high and GRP78^low MDA-MB-231 cells. All values represent the means ± SD (n = 3, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Vec group; ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01 vs. shCtrl group).