Transgelin is a
protein reported to be a marker of several
cancers. However, previous studies have shown both up- and down-regulation of
transgelin in
tumors when compared with non-
tumor tissues and the mechanisms whereby
transgelin may affect the development of
cancer remain largely unknown.
Transgelin is especially abundant in smooth muscle cells and is associated with actin stress fibers. These contractile structures participate in cell motility, adhesion, and the maintenance of cell morphology. Here, the role of
transgelin in
breast cancer is focused on. Initially, the effects of
transgelin on cell migration of the
breast cancer cell lines, BT 549 and PMC 42, is studied. Interestingly,
transgelin silencing increased the migration of PMC 42 cells, but decreased the migration of BT 549 cells. To clarify these contradictory results, the changes in
protein abundances after
transgelin silencing in these two cell lines are analyzed using quantitative proteomics. The results confirmed the role of
transgelin in the migration of BT 549 cells and suggest the involvement of
transgelin in apoptosis and small molecule biochemistry in PMC 42 cells. The context-dependent function of
transgelin reflects the different molecular backgrounds of these cell lines, which differ in karyotypes, mutation statuses, and
proteome profiles.