TY - JOUR
T1 - Role of Cys-603 in dimer/oligomer formation of the breast cancer resistance protein BCRP/ABCG2
AU - Kage, Kumie
AU - Fujita, Toshiro
AU - Sugimoto, Yoshikazu
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2005/12
Y1 - 2005/12
N2 - Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) is a half-molecule ATP-binding cassette transporter that we have previously suggested might function as a homodimer, bridged by disulfide bonds. In the present study, we carried out cysteine-scanning mutagenesis, substituting Ser for Cys, and established 12 PA317 transfectants expressing BCRP mutants with possible disruptions to their S-S bonds. Western blot analysis of BCRP from the wild-type transfectants (PA/WT) confirmed that the wild-type protein migrates as a 140-kDa dimer under non-reducing conditions, but as a 70-kDa monomer under reducing conditions. However, under non-reducing conditions the BCRP-C603S mutant migrated both as a 70-kDa monomer and a 140-kDa dimer, whereas all other mutant BCRP migrated only as dimers. PA317 cells transfected with C603S-BCRP (PA/C603S) showed either similar or only marginally lower SN-38 resistance than PA/WT cells, despite the reduced levels of BCRP dimer in these cells. Moreover, the degree of SN-38 resistance in the mutant BCRP transfectants was found to be associated with the monomer expression levels under reducing conditions. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the BCRP mRNA levels were similar in the transfectants. We subsequently generated six C603X mutants of BCRP (X = D, H, R, Y, A and W) and carried out western blot analysis and drug sensitivity assays. The results were equivalent to those from the PA/C603S cells, with some variations that again corresponded to the monomer levels. Our findings suggest that Cys-603 is an important residue in the covalent bridge between BCRP monomers but that a functioning unit of BCRP may not necessarily require covalent linkages.
AB - Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) is a half-molecule ATP-binding cassette transporter that we have previously suggested might function as a homodimer, bridged by disulfide bonds. In the present study, we carried out cysteine-scanning mutagenesis, substituting Ser for Cys, and established 12 PA317 transfectants expressing BCRP mutants with possible disruptions to their S-S bonds. Western blot analysis of BCRP from the wild-type transfectants (PA/WT) confirmed that the wild-type protein migrates as a 140-kDa dimer under non-reducing conditions, but as a 70-kDa monomer under reducing conditions. However, under non-reducing conditions the BCRP-C603S mutant migrated both as a 70-kDa monomer and a 140-kDa dimer, whereas all other mutant BCRP migrated only as dimers. PA317 cells transfected with C603S-BCRP (PA/C603S) showed either similar or only marginally lower SN-38 resistance than PA/WT cells, despite the reduced levels of BCRP dimer in these cells. Moreover, the degree of SN-38 resistance in the mutant BCRP transfectants was found to be associated with the monomer expression levels under reducing conditions. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the BCRP mRNA levels were similar in the transfectants. We subsequently generated six C603X mutants of BCRP (X = D, H, R, Y, A and W) and carried out western blot analysis and drug sensitivity assays. The results were equivalent to those from the PA/C603S cells, with some variations that again corresponded to the monomer levels. Our findings suggest that Cys-603 is an important residue in the covalent bridge between BCRP monomers but that a functioning unit of BCRP may not necessarily require covalent linkages.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=30344485123&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=30344485123&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2005.00126.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2005.00126.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 16367905
AN - SCOPUS:30344485123
VL - 96
SP - 866
EP - 872
JO - Cancer Science
JF - Cancer Science
SN - 1347-9032
IS - 12
ER -