Fig 2: YWHAE induced cellular effects by PI3K/AKT and MAPK signalling pathways. a STRING database predicted the relevant molecules of YWHAE by PPI. b, c Expression of p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, AKT, mTOR, and p-m-TOR in ovarian cancer cells with a high or low expression of YWHAE. d, e Expression of p-ERK, ERK, p-MEK, and MEK in ovarian cancer cells with a high or low expression of YWHAE

Fig 3: Western blot analysis of related proteins in ovarian cancer cells. a–d Expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, MMP2, and MMP9 in ovarian cancer cells with high and low YWHAE expression, respectively. e–h Expression of Ki67, cyclin D, Bcl-2, and Bax in ovarian cancer cells with high and low YWHAE expression, respectively

Fig 4: YWHAE affects cell invasion, migration, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition in ovarian cancer. a, b YWHAE expression in ovarian cancer cell lines. c, d Western blot analysis of YWHAE over-expression, mock-transduced, and untransduced OVCAR3 and A2780 cells. e, f Western blot of YWHAE knock-down, mock-transduced, and untransduced CAOV3 and ES2 cells. g, h Effects of high YWHAE expression on the invasion of ovarian cancer in OVCAR3 and A2780 cells. i, j Effects of low YWHAE expression on the invasion of ovarian cancer in CAOV3 and ES2 cells. k, l Effects of high YWHAE expression on the migration of ovarian cancer in OVCAR3 and A2780 cells. m, n Effects of low YWHAE expression on the migration of ovarian cancer in CAOV3 and ES2 cells

Fig 5: Effect of YWHAE on proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle of ovarian cancer cells. a YWHAE overexpression promoted the proliferation of OVCAR3 and A2780 ovarian cancer cells, as determined via MTT assay; b YWHAE knockdown inhibited the proliferation of CAOV3 and ES2 ovarian cancer cells, as determined via MTT assay. c, d Ovarian cells passed into G2/M phases following YWHAE overexpression; e, f G0/G1 phase arrested following YWHAE siRNA transfection; g, h YWHAE overexpression decreased apoptosis of OVCAR3 and A2780 cells; i, j YWHAE knockdown increased apoptosis of CAOV3 and ES2 cells