The nucleolin targeting aptamer AS1411 destabilizes Bcl-2 messenger RNA in human breast cancer cells.

Abstract

We sought to determine whether nucleolin, a bcl-2 mRNA-binding protein, has a role in the regulation of bcl-2 mRNA stability in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Furthermore, we examined the efficacy of the aptamer AS1411 in targeting nucleolin and inducing bcl-2 mRNA instability and cytotoxicity in these cells. AS1411 at 5 micromol/L inhibited the growth of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, whereas 20 micromol/L AS1411 had no effect on the growth rate or viability of normal MCF-10A mammary epithelial cells. This selectivity of AS1411 was related to a greater uptake of AS1411 into the cytoplasm of MCF-7 cells compared with MCF-10A cells and to a 4-fold higher level of cytoplasmic nucleolin in MCF-7 cells. Stable siRNA knockdown of nucleolin in MCF-7 cells reduced nucleolin and bcl-2 protein levels and decreased the half-life of bcl-2 mRNA from 11 to 5 hours. Similarly, AS1411 (10 micromol/L) decreased the half-life of bcl-2 mRNA in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells to 1.0 and 1.2 hours, respectively. In contrast, AS1411 had no effect on the stability of bcl-2 mRNA in normal MCF-10A cells. AS1411 also inhibited the binding of nucleolin to the instability element AU-rich element 1 of bcl-2 mRNA in a cell-free system and in MCF-7 cells. Together, the results suggest that AS1411 acts as a molecular decoy by competing with bcl-2 mRNA for binding to cytoplasmic nucleolin in these breast cancer cell lines. This interferes with the stabilization of bcl-2 mRNA by nucleolin and may be one mechanism by which AS1411 induces tumor cell death.

• Authors: Sridharan Soundararajan, Weiwei Chen, Eleanor K Spicer, Nigel Courtenay-Luck, Daniel J Fernandes
• Journal: Cancer research (Cancer Res) Vol. 68 Issue 7 Pg. 2358-65 (Apr 01 2008) ISSN: 1538-7445 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 18381443 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• AGRO 100
• Aptamers, Nucleotide
• Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
• Phosphoproteins
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
• RNA, Messenger
• RNA-Binding Proteins
• nucleolin

Topics

• Apoptosis (drug effects, genetics)
• Aptamers, Nucleotide
• Breast Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism, therapy)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Genes, bcl-2
• Humans
• Oligodeoxyribonucleotides (genetics, pharmacology)
• Phosphoproteins (antagonists & inhibitors, biosynthesis, genetics, metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 (biosynthesis, genetics)
• RNA, Messenger (genetics, metabolism)
• RNA-Binding Proteins (antagonists & inhibitors, biosynthesis, genetics, metabolism)