Effects of metallothionein-3 and metallothionein-1E gene transfection on proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells.
Metallothionein (MT)-3 has cell growth inhibitory activity, and is the only currently known MT subtype with unique physiological functions. The expression levels of MT-1E, a subtype of MT-1, were positively correlated with the degree of esophageal cancer malignancy. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of MT-3 and MT-1E gene transfection on the proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells. The cationic liposome method was used to transfect the esophageal cancer strains Eca-109 and TE13. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect target gene expression, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction was applied to detect cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used for cell cycle and apoptosis detection. Esophageal cancer cells with MT-3 and MT-1E gene transfection showed high expression of the foreign target gene and mRNA. Cells with MT-3 gene transfection showed markedly inhibited proliferation (P < 0.05), a significantly higher proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase (P < 0.05), a significantly lower proportion of cells in the S phase (P < 0.05), and a significantly increased apoptosis rate (P < 0.05). Cells with MT-1E gene transfection did not show significant changes in proliferation, cell cycle, or apoptosis rate (P > 0.05). Therefore, the upregulation of MT-3 gene expression can inhibit esophageal cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis, which may be achieved by blocking the tumor cell growth cycle, whereas effects of the MT-1E gene on the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells were not evident.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China.
Z Q
ZQ
Tian
Y Z
YZ
Xu
Y F
YF
Zhang
G F
GF
Ma
M
M
He
G-Y
GY
Wang
D017209:Apoptosis; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000090023:Metallothionein 3; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
C541541:MT1E protein, human; D000090023:Metallothionein 3; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D008668:Metallothionein