Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) nuclear translocation mediated caspase-independent mechanism involves in X-ray-induced MCF-7 cell death.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and radiotherapy is a conventional therapy following surgery. Previous studies have demonstrated that except the caspase-dependent pathway, caspase-independent pathway is also involved in the cell death responding to irradiation, despite the unclear mechanism. The purpose of the present study was to observe the role of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), the first identified caspase-independent molecule, in X-ray-induced breast cancer cell (MCF-7) cell death.



In this study, WST-1 assay, DAPI nuclear staining and clonogenic survival assay were used to test the cell response to different treatments; Western blot was used to detect the protein expression; RT-PCR and plasmid transfection were used to observe the role of AIF.



X-ray-induced AIF transferred from the mitochondrion to the nucleus. Inhibition of AIF expression reduced X-ray-induced MCF-7 cell death. Further, AIF nuclear translocation is in a caspase-independent manner in this process, but not caspase-dependent manner.



The present study revealed that AIF nuclear translocation proceeded in X-ray-induced MCF-7 cell death in a caspase-independent manner.
a Department of Physiology , Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , China.
Shana
S
Yang
b Department of Orthopaedics , The Sun Yat-sen Memory Hospital, Sun Yat-sen Memory Hospital University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , China.
Jianrong
J
Huang
a Department of Physiology , Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , China.
Pan
P
Liu
a Department of Physiology , Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , China.
Jianhua
J
Li
a Department of Physiology , Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , China.
Shenting
S
Zhao
D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000528:radiation effects; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D051033:Apoptosis Inducing Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014965:X-Rays
D051033:Apoptosis Inducing Factor; D020169:Caspases
AIF; MCF-7; X-ray; caspase-independent pathway