Manipulation of expression of arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase in cultured cells.
Methylation of inorganic arsenic to produce mono-, di-, or trimethylated products is the central process in the cellular metabolism of arsenic. Identification of arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (As3mt) as the enzyme that could catalyze all the steps in the pathway for arsenic methylation suggests that expression of this enzyme could be a useful target for manipulation. Here, methods are described for heterologous expression of the rat As3mt gene in a human urothelial cell line that normally does not express this enzyme and for silencing of the AS3MT gene by RNA interference in a human hepatoma cell line. These tools can be applied to elucidating the role of methylation in the toxic and carcinogenic effects of arsenicals.
Drobna
Zuzana
Z
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Styblo
Miroslav
M
Thomas
David J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D051381:Rats; D019459:Urothelium / Q000166:cytology
D008780:Methyltransferases