RFPL4A Increases the G1 Population and Decreases Sensitivity to Chemotherapy in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 290; no. 10; pp. 6326 - 6337
• Main Authors: Naito, Atsushi, Yamamoto, Hirofumi, Kagawa, Yoshinori, Naito, Yoko, Okuzaki, Daisuke, Otani, Keisuke, Iwamoto, Yoriko, Maeda, Sakae, Kikuta, Junichi, Nishikawa, Keizo, Uemura, Mamoru, Nishimura, Junichi, Hata, Taishi, Takemasa, Ichiro, Mizushima, Tsunekazu, Ishii, Hideshi, Doki, Yuichiro, Mori, Masaki, Ishii, Masaru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 06.03.2015; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: Anticancer Drug; Antineoplastic Agents - administration & dosage; Apoptosis - drug effects; Cell Biology; Cell Cycle; Cell Cycle - drug effects; Cell Cycle - genetics; Colon Cancer; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; E3 Ubiquitin Ligase; G1 Maintenance; G1 Phase - drug effects; G1 Phase - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; HCT116 Cells; Humans; Microarray; Microarray Analysis; RFPL4A; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - biosynthesis; RFPL4A; E3 Ubiquitin Ligase; Cell Cycle; Colon Cancer; G1 Maintenance; Microarray; Anticancer Drug
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M114.614859

Cell cycle-arrested cancer cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy that acts on the mitotic phases of the cell cycle, although the molecular mechanisms involved in halting cell cycle progression remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated that RFPL4A, an uncharacterized ubiquitin ligase, induced G1 retention and thus conferred decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in the human colorectal cancer cell line, HCT116. Long term time lapse observations in HCT116 cells bearing a “fluorescence ubiquitin-based cell cycle indicator” identified a characteristic population that is viable but remains in the G1 phase for an extended period of time (up to 56 h). Microarray analyses showed that expression of RFPL4A was significantly up-regulated in these G1-arrested cells, not only in HCT116 cells but also in other cancer cell lines, and overexpression of RFPL4A increased the G1 population and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy. However, knockdown of RFPL4A expression caused the cells to resume mitosis and induced their susceptibility to anti-cancer drugs in vitro and in vivo. These results indicate that RFPL4A is a novel factor that increases the G1 population and decreases sensitivity to chemotherapy and thus may be a promising therapeutic target for refractory tumor conditions. Background: Cell cycle-arrested cancer cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy. Results: Microarray analyses showed that expression of RFPL4A was significantly up-regulated in these G1-retained cells. Conclusion: RFPL4A is a novel factor inducing G1 retention and reduced sensitivity to chemotherapy. Significance: Combination therapy using RFPL4A inhibition and conventional anti-cancer drugs may represent a promising therapeutic approach for intractable cancer patients.