title: The cytotoxic protein can induce autophagocytosis in addition to apoptosis in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.
abstract: Phagocytic clearance of dying cells is found in many phagocytes. It has been shown that dying cells can be phagocytosed by other phagocytic cells through autophagic or apoptotic cellular death. To date, whether cancer cells have such phagocytic activity has not been studied. In this study, our data shows that RC-RNase can trigger cell death in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells through the apoptotic pathway. Interestingly, when treated with cytotoxic protein, the remaining MCF-7 cells can phagocytose the dying MCF-7 cells via autophagocytic activity, demonstrated directly by real-time image observation and electron microscopy analysis. To sum up, this study demonstrates for the first time that RC-RNase can trigger apoptosis and autophagocytosis in MCF-7 cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Giou-Teng
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Yiang
authors.forename: Yung-Luen
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Pei-Lun
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Hsiu-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Li-Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yen Hsieh
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kuo-Jung
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Jaang-Jiun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Da-Tian
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Bau
authors.forename: Chyou-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D029845:Amphibian Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging
chemical_list: D029845:Amphibian Proteins; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D004722:Endoribonucleases; C094067:pyrimidine-guanine sequence-specific ribonuclease, Rana catesbeiana; D020169:Caspases