title: Role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MEK/ERK pathway in Concanavalin A induced autophagy in HeLa cells.
abstract: Concanavalin A (Con A), a mannose or glucose specific legume lectin, is well known for its anti-proliferative and cytotoxic effect on different types of cancer cells, through its binding to the membrane receptors leading to a major stimulus for the induction of distinct metabolic responses. Recently it has been also been proved that, Con A induces autophagy in hepatoma cells through internalization and mitochondria mediated pathway involving a mitochondrial interacting protein named Bcl2/E1B-19kDa protein-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3). Through this current endeavor, we propose a membrane associated pathway involved in Con A induced autophagy, taking Human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell as a cancer model. Here, we deciphered the role of membrane mediated phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and MEK/Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) pathway in Con A induced autophagy in HeLa cells. Subsequently, we found that Con A treatment suppresses the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and up regulates the MEK/ERK pathway leading to the activation of autophagy. This study will further help us to understand the mechanism behind the autophagic pathway induced by Con A and simultaneously it will strengthen its effective use as a prospective cancer chemo-therapeutic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Bibhas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Arup K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pattanaik
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Joyjyoti
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
authors.forename: Sujit K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bhutia
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Birendra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Behera
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Prashant
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India. Electronic address: tkmaiti@hijli.iitkgp.ernet.in.
authors.forename: Tapas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Maiti
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003208:Concanavalin A; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: Autophagy; Concanavalin A (Con A); MEK/ERK pathway; PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway