title: COM-1/p8 acts as a tumour growth enhancer in colorectal cancer cell lines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Candidate of metastasis-1 (COM-1) is a molecule which is stress-induced and cell growth-related. The current study investigated the impact of COM-1 and role of Peroxisome Proliferating Activator Receptor-gamma (PPARγ) agonists on COM-1 knock down in colorectal cancer cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of COM-1 was knocked out in the colorectal cancer cell lines RKO and CaCO2 by transfection with ribozyme transgenes which specifically targeted COM-1. Cell growth, cell migration and apoptosis were measured in wild-type, control and COM-1 knock down cells. The impact or treatment with the PPARγ agonists on the function of COM-1 knock down cells was monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  COM-1 knock-down cells grew slower than wild-type and control cells. When treated with the PPARγ agonist ciglitazone and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) at several different concentrations, all types of cells grew slower to some extent. Cells with COM-1 knock-down had the same mobility as wild-type and control cells. More apoptotic and dead cells were detected when cells were treated with ciglitazone at 3 μM, especially of COM-1 knock down cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COM-1 is an anti-apoptotic gene and a cell growth promoter. Furthermore, the PPARγ agonist could increase the inhibitory effect seen in COM-1 knock-down cell growth and to promote apoptosis. In regards to metastasis, COM-1 appears to play no role in cell motility.
authors.affiliation: Metastasis and Angiogenesis Research Group, Institute of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tracey A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Wen G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001483:Base Sequence; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C491643:NUPR1 protein, human