title: Activin is a potent growth suppressor of epithelial ovarian cancer cells.
abstract: Although activin is a major cytokine produced by the ovary, its role in epithelial ovarian cancer is poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate a novel role for activin as a growth inhibitor of some (8/16) epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines. Unresponsive cell lines displayed transcriptional downregulation of the activin receptors ACTRIIA and ACTRIB, suggesting resistance to activin signalling. In response to activin, growth inhibited cell lines demonstrated activation of the canonical SMAD2/3/4, transcriptional induction of the CDK inhibitor p15INK4B, suppression of C-MYC levels and a G1 phase cell cycle arrest. Thus, activin is a potent inhibitor of proliferation of some epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines and its role in the pathogenesis of this disease needs to be re-evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. anassuya.ramachandran@medsci.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Anassuya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: Elaine S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: Bruce C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Baguley
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Shelling
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D028341:Activins