The cytotoxic protein can induce autophagocytosis in addition to apoptosis in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

Abstract

Phagocytic clearance of dying cells is found in many phagocytes. It has been shown that dying cells can be phagocytosed by other phagocytic cells through autophagic or apoptotic cellular death. To date, whether cancer cells have such phagocytic activity has not been studied. In this study, our data shows that RC-RNase can trigger cell death in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells through the apoptotic pathway. Interestingly, when treated with cytotoxic protein, the remaining MCF-7 cells can phagocytose the dying MCF-7 cells via autophagocytic activity, demonstrated directly by real-time image observation and electron microscopy analysis. To sum up, this study demonstrates for the first time that RC-RNase can trigger apoptosis and autophagocytosis in MCF-7 cancer cells.

• Authors: Giou-Teng Yiang, Yung-Luen Yu, Pei-Lun Chou, Hsiu-Feng Tsai, Li-Ann Chen, Yen Hsieh Chen, Kuo-Jung Su, Jaang-Jiun Wang, Da-Tian Bau, Chyou-Wei Wei
• Journal: In vivo (Athens, Greece) (In Vivo) 2012 May-Jun Vol. 26 Issue 3 Pg. 403-9 ISSN: 1791-7549 [Electronic] Greece
• PMID: 22523292 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Amphibian Proteins
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Caspase Inhibitors
• Endoribonucleases
• pyrimidine-guanine sequence-specific ribonuclease, Rana catesbeiana
• Caspases

Topics

• Amphibian Proteins (pharmacology)
• Antineoplastic Agents (pharmacology)
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Autophagy (drug effects)
• Breast Neoplasms
• Caspase Inhibitors
• Caspases (metabolism)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Endoribonucleases (pharmacology)
• Female
• Humans
• Single-Cell Analysis
• Time-Lapse Imaging