DNA methyltransferase 1/miR-342-3p/Forkhead box M1 signaling axis promotes self-renewal in cervical cancer stem-like cells in vitro and nude mice models

Figure 7 Overexpression of forkhead box M1 reversed the inhibitory effect of microRNA-342 on cervical cancer stem cell-like cell self-renewal in HeLa cells. A-C: Restoration of forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) did not alter DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) (A) and microRNA (miR)-342-3p expression (B) but could reverse FOXM1 protein downregulation with α-tubulin as a loading control (C); D and E: Attenuation of cervical cancer stem cell-like cell characteristics, including sphere formation efficiency and colony formation efficiency; F: CD133 and CD49f protein expression with α-tubulin as a loading control; G: SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) mRNA levels caused by miR-342-3p mimics in HeLa cells. ^aP < 0.05 vs HeLa cells; ^bP < 0.05 vs HeLa cells transfected with miR-342-3p mimic alone; ^cP < 0.05 vs HeLa cells transfected with FOXM1 cDNA alone (n = 3).