Fig. 2

SPAG5 expression promotes the proliferation of TNBC in vitro. a mRNA and protein expression levels of SPAG5 in TNBC cell lines. b Western blot and RT-qPCR results show the efficiencies of SPAG5 overexpression in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells and SPAG5 knockdown in Hs-578t and BT549 cells. CCK-8 assays (c) and colony-forming (d) assays showed that overexpression of SPAG5 promoted cell proliferation in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells, while knockdown of SAPG5 suppressed cell proliferation in Hs-578t and BT549 cells. e Total RNA was isolated from MDA-MB-231 and Hs-578t cells grown as adherent cultures, mammospheres and assayed for SPAG5 expression by qRT-PCR. f MDA-MB-231 and Hs-578t cells were plated on low adhesion plates to measure their ability to form mammospheres. Flow-cytometric analysis of CD24 − ESA+ population in MDA-MB-231 and Hs-578t cells grown as adherent culture. All *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001, n.s. not significant