Carcinogenesis, Teratogenesis & Mutagenesis ›› 2017, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (3): 205-210,215.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-616x.2017.03.009

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Activation of mTOR signaling pathway can reduce radiation sensitivity through up-regulating SNCG expression in breast cancer cells

WU Lina, GAO Gang, LIU Jianxiang   

  1. Key Laboratory of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Emergency, National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100088, China
  • Received:2016-07-12 Revised:2017-03-11 Online:2017-05-31 Published:2017-05-31

Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To investigate the involvement of mTOR-regulated SNCG expression in the control of radiation sensitivity in T47D breast cancer cells. METHODS:Expression levels of tumor-related genes in T47D cells were investigated after their irradiation with different doses of γ-rays. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the level of SNCG expression with or without the treatments of phosphatidic acid (PA;an mTOR pathway activator),and with 4 Gy γ-rays with or without PA treatment. Furthermore,SNCG expression was inhibited by transfection with SNCG-siRNA,and colony formation assay was performed to document radiation sensitivity. RESULTS:After γ-rays irradiation,there was a remarkable up-regulation of mTOR expression in T47D cells. However,radiation sensitivity was altered in PA-treated cells,suggesting that mTOR pathway was involved in the regulation of radio-sensitivity in these cells. From the qPCR and Western blot analyses,SNCG expression was up-regulated in either γ-rays irradiated or PA-treated T47D cells,indicating that mTOR-mediated the expression of SNCG which reduced the radiation sensitivity in T47D cells. Furthermore,transfection of cells with SNCG-siRNA significantly suppressed colony formation,suggesting that knockdown of SNCG expression can improve radiation sensitivity in breast cancer cells. CONCLUSION:Our study show that mTOR mediated the expression of SNCG and the subsequent radiation sensitivity of breast cancer cells. Our data suggest that down-regulation of SNCG expression may increase the sensitivity of radiotherapy and this may be helpful for the treatment of the patients with breast cancer.

Key words: breast cancer, mTOR pathway, SNCG, irradiation therapy

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