title: NFBD1/MDC1 is a protein of oncogenic potential in human cervical cancer.
abstract: A large nuclear protein of 2089 amino acids, NFBD1/MDC1 has recently been implicated in tumorigenesis and tumor growth. In this study, we investigated its expression in cervical cancers and explored its function using gene knockdown approaches. We report here that NFBD1 expression is substantial increased in 24 of 39 cases (61.5%) of cervical cancer tissues at the mRNA level and in 35 of 60 cases (58.3%) at the protein level compared with the case matched normal tissues. Tumors with higher grade of malignancy tend to have higher levels of NFBD1 expression. By infecting cells with retroviruses expressing NFBD1 shRNA, we successfully knocked down NFBD1 expression in cervical cancer cell lines HeLa, SiHa, and CaSki. NFBD1 knockdown cells display significant growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, higher apoptotic rate, and enhanced sensitivity to adriamycin. Furthermore, NFBD1 knockdown also inhibits the growth of HeLa cells in nude mice. Western blot analyses further revealed that NFBD1 knockdown induced Bax, Puma, and Noxa while down-regulating Bcl-2; it also up-regulated cytochrome C and activated caspases 3 and 9. Therefore, the function of NFBD1 may be involved in the CDC25C-CyclinB1/CDC2 pathway at the G2/M checkpoint, and the cytochrome C/caspase 3 apoptotic pathway. Since expression of NFBD1 seems to be related to the oncogenic potential of cervical cancer, and suppression of its expression can inhibit cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo, NFBD1 may be a potential therapeutic target in human cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Molecular Medicine & Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chengfu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Youquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Changdong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Faping
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Zhengmei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiuning
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Geli
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fangzhou
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C413163:MDC1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D004317:Doxorubicin