Fig 2: Overexpression of HOXB2 rescues the proliferation of colon cancer cells. (A) Cell Counting Kit-8 was performed to detect the viability of colon cancer cells. (B) The proliferation of colon cancer cells was determined with the colony formation assay. (C) Immunofluorescence was performed to detect the expression of Ki-67 in colon cancer cells. *P<0.05, **P<0.01 and ***P<0.001. ##P<0.01 vs. shRNA-CCT6A + Ov-NC. CCT6A, chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A; shRNA, short hairpin RNA; Ov, overexpressing; NC, negative control.

Fig 3: HOXB2 activates the expression of CCT6A in colon cancer cells. (A and B) The binding sites between HOXB2 and CCT6A. The expression of HOXB2 in colon cancer cells was determined with (C) western blotting and (D) RT-qPCR. The expression of HOXB2 in colon cancer cells of the overexpression group was determined with (E) RT-qPCR and (F) western blotting. (G) A luciferase reporter assay was performed to detect the relationship between CCT6A and HOXB2. (H) Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to demonstrate the interaction between CCT6A and HOXB2. The expression of CCT6A in colon cancer cells was detected with (I) RT-qPCR and (J) western blotting. ***P<0.001. CCT6A, chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A; RT-qPCR, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR; Ov, overexpressing; NC, negative control; WT, wild-type; MUT, mutant; shRNA, short hairpin RNA.

Fig 4: Knockdown of CCT6A suppresses the proliferation of colon cancer cells. (A) Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and (B) western blotting were performed to detect the expression of CCT6A in colon cancer cells. (C) The viability of colon cancer cells was detected with the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. (D) The proliferation of colon cancer cells was detected with the colony formation assay. (E) Immunofluorescence was performed to detect the expression of Ki-67 in colon cancer cells. **P<0.01 and ***P<0.001. CCT6A, chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A; shRNA, short hairpin RNA; NC, negative control.

Fig 5: Inhibition of CCT6A restricts the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. (A) Wound healing and (B) Transwell assays were performed to detect the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. (C) Statistical analysis of cell invasion and migration. (D) Western blotting was performed to determine the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins in colon cancer cells. **P<0.01 and ***P<0.001. CCT6A, chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A; shRNA, short hairpin RNA; NC, negative control.