Fig 2: MTMR3 protein expression in breast cancer tissues and adjacent paracarcinoma tissues. (A) Representative images of negative (−), weak positive (−+), positive (+) and strongly positive (++) MTMR3 staining by IHC analysis. (B) Statistical analysis of different degrees of MTMR3 staining in breast cancer tissues. (C) Expression levels (IHC score) of MTMR3 in breast cancer tissues and paired adjacent paracarcinoma tissues. MTMR3, myotubularin related protein 3; IHC, immunohistochemistry.

Fig 3: Knockdown of MTMR3 alters cell cycle progression and related protein expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. (A and B) Cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry. Representative plots and quantification of percentage of cells in each cell cycle phase is shown. (C) Western blot analysis of proteins associated with cell cycle regulation in MDA-MB-231 cells. (D) Western blot analysis of proteins associated with autophagy regulation in MDA-MB-231 cells. Three independent experiments were performed. **P<0.01, ***P<0.001 vs. shCon. MTMR3, myotubularin related protein 3; sh, short hairpin; Con, control; cdc25A, cell division cycle 25 A; CDK2, cyclin-dependent kinase 2; LC3, microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3.

Fig 4: Knockdown of MTMR3 suppresses the proliferative and colony formation capacities of MDA-MB-231 cells. (A) Western blot analysis of MTMR3 protein expression in five different breast cancer cell lines. (B) MTMR3 mRNA expression levels detected in shMTMR3, shCon, and Con MDA-MB-231 cells. (C) Western blot analysis of MTMR3 knockdown efficacy in MDA-MB-231 cells. (D) Comparative growth curves of tumor cells in the Con, shCon and shMTMR3 groups, as measured by MTT assay. (E) Representative images of formed colonies and statistical analysis of colony numbers in the Con, shCon, and shMTMR3 groups. Representative images of individual colonies in each group were captured at magnification ×40. Three independent experiments were performed. ***P<0.001 vs. shCon. MTMR3, myotubularin related protein 3; sh, short hairpin; Con, control; OD, optical density.