Effects of Ribosomal Protein L39-L on the Drug Resistance Mechanisms of Lung Cancer A549 Cells

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Cancer is a major threat to the public health whether in developed or in developing countries.As the most common primary malignant tumor, the morbidity and mortality rate of lung cancer continues to risein recent ten years worldwide. Chemotherapy is one of the main methods in the treatment of lung cancer, butthis is hampered by chemotherapy drug resistance, especially MDR. As a component of the 60S large ribosomalsubunit, ribosomal protein L39-L gene was reported to be expressed specifically in the human testis and humancancer samples of various tissue origins. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Total RNA of cultured drug-resistant andsusceptible A549 cells was isolated, and real time quantitative RT-PCR were used to indicate the transcribedifference between amycin resistant and susceptible strain of A549 cells. Viability assay were used to show theamycin resistance difference in RPL39-L transfected A549 cell line than control vector and null-transfected A549cell line. <br/><b>Results</b>: The ribosomal protein L39-L transcription level was 8.2 times higher in drug-resistant humanlung cancer A549 cell line than in susceptible A549 cell line by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The ribosomalprotein L39-L transfected cells showed enhanced drug resistance compared to plasmid vector-transfected ornull-transfected cells as determined by methyl tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) incorporation. Conclusions andImplications for Practice: The ribosomal protein L39-L gene may have effects on the drug resistance mechanismof lung cancer A549 cells.