title: Effects of combined siRNA-TR and -TERT on telomerase activity and growth of bladder transitional cell cancer BIU-87 cells.
abstract: The effects of combined RNA interference (RNAi) of human telomerase RNA (hTR) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) genes on telomerase activity in a bladder cancer cell line (BIU-87 cells) were investigated by using gene chip technology in vitro with an attempt to evaluate the role of RNAi in the gene therapy of bladder transitional cell cancer (BTCC). Three TR-specific double-stranded small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and three TERT-specific double-stranded siRNAs were designed to target different regions of TR and TERT mRNA. The phTR-siRNA, phTERT-siRNA, and the combination of both plasmids phTR+phTERT-siRNA were transfected into BIU-87 cells. The expression of hTR and hTERT mRNA was detected by quantitative fluorescent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and a telomeric repeat amplification protocol was applied to detect telomerase activity. Growth inhibition of BIU-87 cells was measured by MTT assay. Gene chip analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of the combined RNAi of hTR+hTERT genes on telomerase activity and growth of BIU-87 cells in vitro. The results showed that the expression of hTERT and hTR mRNA was inhibited by pRNAT-hTERT-III, pRNAT-hTR-III, and pRNAT-hTR-III+hTERT-III in BIU-87 cells. The inhibition efficiency of pRNAT-hTERT-III, pRNAT-hTR-III, pRNAT-hTERT-III+pRNAT-hTR-III was 67% for TERT mRNA, 41% for TR mRNA, 57% for TR mRNA and 70% for TERT mRNA in BIU-87 cells respectively. The growth of BIU-87 cells was inhibited and telomerase activity was considerably decreased, especially in the cells treated with combined RNAi-hTR and -hTERT. Gene chip analysis revealed that 21 genes were down-regulated (ATM, BAX, BCL2, BCL2L1, BIRC5, CD44, CTNNB1, E2F1, JUN, MCAM, MTA1, MYC, NFKB1, NFKBIA, NME4, PNN, PNN, SERPINE1, THBS1, TNFRSF1A, and UCC1). The results indicated that hTR-siRNA and hTERT-siRNA, especially their combination, siRNA hTR+hTERT, specifically and effectively suppressed the expression of both hTR and hTERT mRNA and telomerase activity. Molecular biological mechanism by which combined siRNA-TR and -TERT inhibited telomerase activity and growth of BIU-87 cells in vitro may involve the down-regulation of the 21 genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, 210002, China. chengwen30@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zhengyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jingping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Kangzhen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C422952:telomerase RNA; D012313:RNA; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase