title: Apigenin inhibits HeLa sphere-forming cells through inactivation of casein kinase 2α.
abstract: The protein kinase casein kinase 2 (CK2) has been implicated in stem cell maintenance and its aberrant activation has been demonstrated in several types of cancer, including cervical cancer. In the present study, it was demonstrated that the sphere-forming cells (SFCs) of HeLa cell lines exhibited self-renewal capacity, indicating that they possessed the properties of cervical cancer stem-like cells. HeLa-derived SFCs exhibited a higher level of CK2α protein, compared with the parental cells. Apigenin, a dietary flavonoid, led to a dose-dependent inhibition of the self-renewal capacity and the protein expression of CK2α in HeLa-derived SFCs. Furthermore, forced overexpression of CK2α resulted in a decrease in the inhibition of CK2α expression and the self-renewal capacity induced by apigenin in HeLa-derived SFCs. These results suggested that apigenin inhibits the self-renewal capacity of HeLa-derived SFCs through downregulation of CK2α expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicine Engineering, Medical College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Cheng
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicine Engineering, Medical College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicine Engineering, Medical College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Mei-Fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Quan
mesh_terms: D047310:Apigenin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047390:Casein Kinase II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D047310:Apigenin; D047390:Casein Kinase II