Promoted cell proliferation by connexin 30 gene transfection to head-and-neck cancer cell line.
BACKGROUND
There have been inconsistent results regarding the contribution of the connexin family of genes to tumor cell proliferation.


METHODS
We aimed to clarify the role of connexin 30 (Cx30), by transfecting three kinds of vectors that express either full length Cx30 (Cx30-Full), Cx30 devoid of C-terminal region (Cx30-DelC) or Cx30 C-terminal region (Cx30-CT), in HSC-4, a head-and-neck cancer cell line.


RESULTS
Transfected Cx30-Full was localized on the plasma membrane, while Cx30-DelC and Cx30-CT was expressed in the cytoplasm or circumnuclear sites. We studied the effect on the growth rate followed by immunostaining with anti-Ki-67 (MIB-1). The MIB indices of HSC-4 cells transfected with Cx30-Full and Cx30-DelC, but not Cx30-CT were shown to be significantly higher than that of the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that Cx30 enhanced the proliferation of HSC-4 cells and the proliferating activity was considered to be achieved without the transport of the protein onto the plasma membrane.
Ozawa
Hiroyuki
H
National Institute of Sensory Organs, National Tokyo Medical Center, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8902, Japan. ozakky@cb.mbn.or.jp
Mutai
Hideki
H
Matsunaga
Tatsuo
T
Tokumaru
Yutaka
Y
Fujii
Masato
M
Sakamoto
Kouji
K
Tomita
Toshiki
T
Ogawa
Kaoru
K
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D000075302:Connexin 30; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000075302:Connexin 30; D017630:Connexins; C491020:GJB6 protein, human