Enhanced calreticulin expression triggers apoptosis in the MCF-7 cell line.
Calreticulin, since its discovery as a ubiquitous protein of endoplasmic reticulum, has become recognized as a multifunctional luminal resident protein affecting many cellular functions ranging from development to death of a cell. However its role in cancer and significance for therapy remains to be clarified. Here to examine its effects, the calreticulin gene was over expressed in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines and influence on apoptosis was examined through an MTT assay. Upon culture in a suitable medium, cells transfected with the calreticulin gene were significantly more susceptible to apoptosis compared to controls. These findings therefore render a novel mechanism by which cancerous cells can be triggered to undergo death by upregulation of a protein resident in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum.
Department of Biotechnology, Karpagam University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India.
Shibily
S
Prathyuman
Sudha
S
Sellappa
Shyn
S
Joseph
Kripa Subhadra
KS
Keyan
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D037282:Calreticulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003124:Colorimetry; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015854:Up-Regulation
D037282:Calreticulin