[Effect of mTOR plasmid transfection on growth of breast cancer MCF-7 cells in vitro].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of mTOR signal transduction pathway and down-regulating anti-oncogene PTEN on the growth of breast cancer MCF-7 cells.


METHODS
MCF-7 cells were transfected with the eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1-mTOR and non-loaded plasmid, and the expression of mTOR in the cells was detected using Western blotting. Flow cytometry was used to analyze apoptosis and cell cycle of the transfected cells, and the expression of PTEN was detected after transfection.


RESULTS
The cells transfected with pcDNA3.1-mTOR showed a increased growth rate than those transfected with the non-loaded plasmid and those without transfection. The expression of the protein PTEN decreased obviously in the cells after mTOR trasnfection.


CONCLUSIONS
mTOR can regulate the expression of PTEN via PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathways through a negative feedback mechanism. Increased mTOR expression promotes MCF-7 cell growth, suggesting the potential value of mTOR specific inhibitor in the treatment of breast cancer.
Department of Breast, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.E-mail: matthewliu007@163.com.
Minfeng
M
Liu
Zhaozhe
Z
Guo
Jianyu
J
Dong
Yipeng
Y
Yang
Jian
J
Ji
Runqi
R
Liu
Yan
Y
Yan
Changshen
C
Ye
D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids; D015398:Signal Transduction; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human