Fig. 3

Activin co-localization is associated with mitogenic signaling, proliferation, and immune evasion. Activin co-localization in stage III CRC tissue samples was associated with increased levels of two PI3K signaling proteins (A) Phospho-Tuberin and (B) Phospho-PRAS40 regardless of tissue compartment. (C) Increases in the proliferative marker Ki-67 were observed in stage III activin (+) tumor sections and in the stroma of stage II tissue samples regardless of activin co-localization. (D) Increases in Phos-pho-p44-42 MAPK ERK1/2 were observed exclusively in activin (+) tumoral tissue sections, independent of stage. (E-G) Activin (+) AOIs in the tumoral compartment of stage III tissue sections displayed significant increases in Phospho-p38 MAPK, the immunosuppressive marker PD-L1, and Phospho-GSK3β. Data analyzed via linear mixed modeling with Benjamin-Hochberg correction test (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***, p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001; n = 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, or 11).