p53 increases intra-cellular calcium release by transcriptional regulation of calcium channel TRPC6 in GaQ3-treated cancer cells

PLoS One. 2013 Aug 16;8(8):e71016. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071016. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

p53 and calcium signaling are inter-dependent and are known to show both synergistic and antagonistic effects on each other in the cellular environment. However, no molecular mechanism or cellular pathway is known which shows direct regulation between these important cellular signaling molecules. Here we have shown that in cancer cells treated with anti-neoplastic drug GaQ3, p53, there is an increase in intracellular calcium levels by transcriptional regulation of a novel calcium channel gene TRPC6. p53 directly binds to a 22 bp response element in the TRPC6 gene promoter and increase its mRNA and protein expression. Over-expression of TRPC6 results in calcium-dependent apoptotic death and activation of apoptotic genes in a variety of cancer cells. This research work shows that p53 and its transcriptional activity is critical in regulation of calcium signaling and an increase in the intracellular calcium level might be one of the anti-cancer strategies to induce apoptosis in cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Signaling / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Ion Transport / drug effects
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Organometallic Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Oxyquinoline / analogs & derivatives*
  • Oxyquinoline / pharmacology
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • TRPC Cation Channels / genetics*
  • TRPC Cation Channels / metabolism
  • TRPC6 Cation Channel
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • RNA, Messenger
  • TRPC Cation Channels
  • TRPC6 Cation Channel
  • TRPC6 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • tris(8-quinolinolato)gallium (III)
  • Oxyquinoline
  • Calcium

Grants and funding

Swiss Cancer League, Josheph Steiner grants award and Indian council of Mecical Research (ICMR). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.