Background: Actin-related protein 2/3 (ARP2/3) complex is an actin nucleator responsible for actin cytoskeleton branching which is essential for efficient cell migration.
Materials and methods: The expression of the seven ARP2/3 complex subunits was assessed in pancreatic cancer cell lines and in normal pancreatic samples by quantitative RT-PCR. siRNA-mediated silencing was used to study the contribution of each ARP2/3 complex member to pancreatic cancer cell migration.
Results: ARPC3 and ARPC4 were the most highly expressed complex members, while ARPC1B and ARPC2 were expressed at low levels. Silencing of the ARP2/3 complex subunits typically resulted in reduced cell migration capacity. In particular, silencing of ARPC4 significantly reduced cell migration in all studied cell lines, with a major impact on Hs700T and HPAFII migration (50% and 68% decrease, p<0.001).
Conclusion: We offer comprehensive expression data on the ARP2/3 complex members for pancreatic cancer and normal pancreas. In addition, we show cell line-specific differences in ARP2/3 complex subunit dependency on cell migratory potential, and suggest ARPC4 to be one of the key members of the ARP2/3 complex in pancreatic cancer.