An ethanol extract of Iris nertschinskia induces p53-dependent apoptosis in the MCF7 human breast cancer cell line.
Iris nertschinskia, an ornamental plant, is utilized in traditional East Asian medicine for the treatment of skin diseases. However, the biological activity underlying its therapeutic effects remains to be established. In this study, we investigated the anti-tumor effect of the plant extract on MCF7 human breast cancer cells. An ethanol extract of Iris nertschinskia triggered cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, treatment with the extract promoted p53 phosphorylation in MCF7 cells. Increased phosphorylation of p53, in turn, led to induction of Bax protein, a key regulator of p53-dependent apoptotic cell death, as well as of caspase-7 cleavage in MCF7 cells. Consistently, cells treated with p53-specific siRNA or the caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD, resisted apoptotic cell death induced by the Iris nertschinskia extract. Our results suggest that p53 sensitizes tumor cells to the ethanol extract of Iris nertschinskia by Bax protein induction and caspase-dependent apoptosis.
Institute for Innovative Cancer Research, ASAN Medical Center, Songpa-Gu, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea.
Jae-Sik
JS
Shin
Seung-Woo
SW
Hong
Jin-Gyun
JG
Lee
Young-Min
YM
Lee
Dae-Won
DW
Kim
Jee-Eun
JE
Kim
Da-Jung
DJ
Jung
Sung-Kwan
SK
An
Nam-Joo
NJ
Hong
Daejin
D
Kim
Dong-Hoon
DH
Jin
Sok-Young
SY
Lee
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D031323:Iris Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
C494826:BAX protein, human; D010936:Plant Extracts; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D000431:Ethanol; C505520:CASP7 protein, human; D053179:Caspase 7