title: Overexpression of gastrokine 1 in gastric cancer cells induces Fas-mediated apoptosis.
abstract: Gastrokine 1 (GKN1) is involved in the replenishment of the surface lumen epithelial cell layer, in maintaining the mucosal integrity, and could play a role in cell proliferation and differentiation. In fact, after injury of the gastric mucosa, restoration may occur very rapidly in the presence of GKN1. In contrast, if the protein is downregulated, the repair process may be hampered; however, application of GKN1 to gastrointestinal cells promoted epithelial restoration. Because GKN1 possesses some mitogenic effects on intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) whereas this protein was also capable of inhibiting proliferation in gastric cancer cells (MKN28), we decided to study its involvement in apoptosis to understand the role of GKN1 in the modulation of inflammatory damage or tumorigenesis in gastric mucosa. We found by cytofluorimetry, Western blot and RT-PCR that the overexpression of GKN1 in gastric cancer cell lines (AGS and MKN28) stimulated the expression of Fas receptor. Moreover, compared to control cells, a significant increase of apoptosis, evaluated by TUNEL, was observed when GKN1 transfected cells were treated with a monoclonal antibody (IgM) anti-Fas. The activation of Fas expression was also observed by the overexpression of GKN1 in other cancer cell lines. Moreover, in GKN1-overexpressing gastric cancer cells exposed to FasL, the activation of caspase-3 was also observed by Western blot and fluorescence assays. Our data represent the first report for GKN1 as modulator of apoptotic signals and suggest that GKN1 might play an important role for tissue repair during the early stages of neoplastic transformation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rippa
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Monica
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allocca
authors.forename: Maria Fiammetta
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Palma
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arcari
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C491901:FAS protein, human; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C477000:GKN1 protein, human; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D019014:fas Receptor; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3