LMNA knock-down affects differentiation and progression of human neuroblastoma cells.
BACKGROUND
Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most aggressive tumors that occur in childhood. Although genes, such as MYCN, have been shown to be involved in the aggressiveness of the disease, the identification of new biological markers is still desirable. The induction of differentiation is one of the strategies used in the treatment of neuroblastoma. A-type lamins are components of the nuclear lamina and are involved in differentiation. We studied the role of Lamin A/C in the differentiation and progression of neuroblastoma.


RESULTS
Knock-down of Lamin A/C (LMNA-KD) in neuroblastoma cells blocked retinoic acid-induced differentiation, preventing neurites outgrowth and the expression of neural markers. The genome-wide gene-expression profile and the proteomic analysis of LMNA-KD cells confirmed the inhibition of differentiation and demonstrated an increase of aggressiveness-related genes and molecules resulting in augmented migration/invasion, and increasing the drug resistance of the cells. The more aggressive phenotype acquired by LMNA-KD cells was also maintained in vivo after injection into nude mice. A preliminary immunohistochemistry analysis of Lamin A/C expression in nine primary stages human NB indicated that this protein is poorly expressed in most of these cases.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated for the first time in neuroblastoma cells that Lamin A/C plays a central role in the differentiation, and that the loss of this protein gave rise to a more aggressive tumor phenotype.
CNR-Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Santa Lucia Foundation-IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Giovanna
G
Maresca
Manuela
M
Natoli
Marta
M
Nardella
Ivan
I
Arisi
Daniela
D
Trisciuoglio
Marianna
M
Desideri
Rossella
R
Brandi
Simona
S
D'Aguanno
Maria Rita
MR
Nicotra
Mara
M
D'Onofrio
Andrea
A
Urbani
Pier Giorgio
PG
Natali
Donatella
D
Del Bufalo
Armando
A
Felsani
Igea
I
D'Agnano
D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D034904:Lamin Type A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020543:Proteome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; C494847:LMNA protein, human; D034904:Lamin Type A; D020543:Proteome; D014212:Tretinoin; D004317:Doxorubicin