title: Exposure to 50 Hz electromagnetic field raises the levels of the anti-apoptotic protein BAG3 in melanoma cells.
abstract: The expression of the anti-apoptotic protein BAG3 is induced in several cell types by exposure to high temperature, oxidants, and other stressful agents. We investigated whether exposure to 50 Hz electromagnetic fields raised BAG3 levels in the human melanoma cell line M14, in vitro and in orthotopic xenografts. Exposure of cultured cells or xenografts for 6 h or 4 weeks, respectively, produced a significant (P < 0.01) increase in BAG3 protein amounts. Interestingly, at the same times, we could not detect any significant variation in the levels of HSP70/72 protein or cell apoptosis. These results confirm the stressful effect of exposure to ELF in human cells, by identifying BAG3 protein as a marker of ELF-induced stress. Furthermore, they suggest that BAG3 induction by ELF may contribute to melanoma cell survival and/or resistance to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zeppa
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pasquino
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arra
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ammirante
authors.forename: Michelina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Festa
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giudice
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pascale
authors.forename: Maria Caterina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Turco
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosati
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005260:Female; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C414431:BAG3 protein, human; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins