title: Beclin-1 expression in normal bladder and in Cd2+ and As3+ exposed and transformed human urothelial cells (UROtsa).
abstract: The expression of beclin-1 in normal human bladder and in Cd(2+) and As(3+) exposed and transformed urothelial cells (UROtsa) was examined in this study. It was shown using a combination of real-time PCR, Western analysis and immunohistochemistry that beclin-1 was expressed in the urothelial cells of the normal bladder. It was also demonstrated that the parental UROtsa cell line expressed beclin-1 mRNA and protein at levels similar to that of the in situ urothelium. The level of beclin-1 expression underwent only modest alterations when the UROtsa cells were malignantly transformed by Cd(2+) or As(3+) or when the parental cells were exposed acutely to Cd(2+) or As(3+). While there were instances of significant alterations at individual time points and within cell line-to-cell line comparisons there was no evidence of a dose-response relationship or correlations to the phenotypic properties of the cell lines. Similar results were obtained for the expression of the Atg-5, Atg-7, Atg-12 and LC3B autophagy-related proteins. The findings provide initial evidence for beclin-1 expression in normal bladder and that large alterations in the expression of beclin-1 and associated proteins do not occur when human urothelial cells are malignantly transformed with, or exposed to, either Cd(2+) or As(3+.).
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, 501 North Columbia Rd., Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA. jlarson@medicine.nodak.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Somji
authors.forename: Xu Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sens
authors.forename: Scott H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: Donald A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sens
authors.forename: Jane R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dunlevy
mesh_terms: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity*; D000071186:Beclin-1; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019459:Urothelium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002104:Cadmium; D001151:Arsenic