Barrès V, Ouellet V, Lafontaine J, Tonin PN, Provencher DM, Mes-Masson AM. An essential role for Ran GTPase in epithelial ovarian cancer cell survival.
Mol Cancer 2010;
9:272. [PMID:
20942967 PMCID:
PMC2964620 DOI:
10.1186/1476-4598-9-272]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2010] [Accepted: 10/13/2010] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
We previously identified that Ran protein, a member of the Ras GTPase family, is highly expressed in high grade and high stage serous epithelial ovarian cancers, and that its overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis. Ran is known to contribute to both nucleocytoplasmic transport and cell cycle progression, but its role in ovarian cancer is not well defined.
Results
Using a lentivirus-based tetracycline-inducible shRNA approach, we show that downregulation of Ran expression in aggressive ovarian cancer cell lines affects cellular proliferation by inducing a caspase-3 associated apoptosis. Using a xenograft tumor assay, we demonstrate that depletion of Ran results in decreased tumorigenesis, and eventual tumor formation is associated with tumor cells that express Ran protein.
Conclusion
Our results suggest a role for Ran in ovarian cancer cell survival and tumorigenicity and suggest that this critical GTPase may be suitable as a therapeutic target.
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