title: Silencing of NUF2 inhibits proliferation of human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  NUF2 (NUF2, Ndc80 kinetochore complex component), which is essential for kinetochore-microtubule attachment in mitosis, has emerged as a critical mediator of the cell cycle in multiple tumour occurrences. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of NUF2 in osteosarcoma, one of the most common primary bone tumours in children and young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lentivirus-mediated short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting NUF2 (Lv-shNUF2) was employed for evaluation in human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells. After NUF2 silencing, the proliferation of Saos-2 cells was significantly inhibited, as determined by the MTT assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The colony forming ability was also significantly decreased in Saos-2 cells infected with Lv-shNUF2. Flow cytometry revealed that downregulation of NUF2 in Saos-2 cells caused a remarkable accumulation of the cell population in the S phase. Furthermore, the expression levels of cell cycle regulators cyclin A and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) were notably decreased, whereas those of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21Cip1 and p27Kip1, were increased in response to NUF2 knockdown in Saos-2 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that NUF2 might modulate cell proliferation via cell cycle control in Saos-2 cells. Downregulation of NUF2 by shRNA might be a novel strategy for early treatment of osteosarcoma using molecular-targeting therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. mymessagebox163@163.com.
authors.forename: H-L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000235:genetics; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics*; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C490197:NUF2 protein, human; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering