RNA interference (RNAi) mediated stable knockdown of protein casein kinase 2-alpha (CK2α) inhibits migration and invasion and enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HEp-2 laryngeal carcinoma cells.
Laryngeal carcinoma is a common malignant neoplasm occurring in the head and neck, threatening human health. Protein casein kinase 2-alpha (CK2α) has been indicated to participate in the pathogenesis of this cancer; however, the underlying mechanisms still need to be elucidated. In this study, short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) technology was utilized to inhibit the CK2α expression in HEp-2 laryngeal carcinoma cells. Results showed that both mRNA and protein expression levels of endogenous CK2α were markedly decreased in HEp-2 cells transfected with CK2α specific shRNA. Transwell assays revealed that stable knockdown of CK2α significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of HEp-2 cells. As compared with cells treated with negative control shRNA, epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) expression was increased, but snail, slug and vimentin were decreased in cells transfected with CK2α shRNA, indicating that inhibition of CK2α expression may suppress the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of laryngeal carcinoma in vitro. Moreover, suppression of CK2α was found to enhance the apoptosis induced by cisplatin in laryngeal carcinoma cells, probably through inhibition of permeability glycoprotein (P-glycoprotein) and multidrug-resistance protein (MRP1). In conclusion, our study may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for human laryngeal carcinoma by targeting CK2α.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, People's Republic of China; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, People's Republic of China.
Fang
F
Zhang
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, People's Republic of China.
Bo
B
Yang
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, People's Republic of China.
Shengli
S
Shi
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: xuejunjiang@outlook.com.
Xuejun
X
Jiang
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047390:Casein Kinase II / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D015870:Gene Expression; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014746:Vimentin; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D002945:Cisplatin
Apoptosis; CK2α; EMT; Laryngeal carcinoma; RNAi