Zinc Status Impacts the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Downstream Protein Expression in A549 Cells
Zinc has been suggested to play a role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Serum zinc levels of lung cancer patients are for example lower than in healthy individuals. The activation and expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which plays a role in tumor biology, are presumab...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/4/2270 |
| _version_ | 1797479341552041984 |
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| author | Emily Scheiermann Mary-Ann Puppa Lothar Rink Inga Wessels |
| author_facet | Emily Scheiermann Mary-Ann Puppa Lothar Rink Inga Wessels |
| author_sort | Emily Scheiermann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Zinc has been suggested to play a role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Serum zinc levels of lung cancer patients are for example lower than in healthy individuals. The activation and expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which plays a role in tumor biology, are presumably influenced by zinc. EGFR activation influences cell adhesion and immune escape. This study provides insights into the impacts of zinc on the EGFR activation and expression of downstream proteins such as E-cadherin and PD-L1 in the alveolar carcinoma cell line A549. To model chronic changes in zinc homeostasis, A549 cells were cultured in media with different zinc contents. EGFR surface expression of unstimulated and stimulated A549 cells was determined by flow cytometry. EGFR phosphorylation as well as the protein expression of E-cadherin and PD-L1 were analyzed by Western blot. In our hands, chronic zinc deficiency led to increased EGFR surface expression, decreased E-cadherin protein expression and increased PD-L1 protein expression. Zinc supplementation decreased EGFR surface expression and PD-L1 protein expression. In summary, zinc-deficient A549 cells may display a more malignant phenotype. Thus, future clinical research should further focus on the possible benefits of restoring disturbed zinc homeostasis, especially in lung cancer patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:44:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-de3f88fde9754b73b9c2dcbf2bd1b068 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:44:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-de3f88fde9754b73b9c2dcbf2bd1b0682023-11-23T20:22:42ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-02-01234227010.3390/ijms23042270Zinc Status Impacts the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Downstream Protein Expression in A549 CellsEmily Scheiermann0Mary-Ann Puppa1Lothar Rink2Inga Wessels3Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, GermanyInstitute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, GermanyInstitute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, GermanyInstitute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074 Aachen, GermanyZinc has been suggested to play a role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Serum zinc levels of lung cancer patients are for example lower than in healthy individuals. The activation and expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which plays a role in tumor biology, are presumably influenced by zinc. EGFR activation influences cell adhesion and immune escape. This study provides insights into the impacts of zinc on the EGFR activation and expression of downstream proteins such as E-cadherin and PD-L1 in the alveolar carcinoma cell line A549. To model chronic changes in zinc homeostasis, A549 cells were cultured in media with different zinc contents. EGFR surface expression of unstimulated and stimulated A549 cells was determined by flow cytometry. EGFR phosphorylation as well as the protein expression of E-cadherin and PD-L1 were analyzed by Western blot. In our hands, chronic zinc deficiency led to increased EGFR surface expression, decreased E-cadherin protein expression and increased PD-L1 protein expression. Zinc supplementation decreased EGFR surface expression and PD-L1 protein expression. In summary, zinc-deficient A549 cells may display a more malignant phenotype. Thus, future clinical research should further focus on the possible benefits of restoring disturbed zinc homeostasis, especially in lung cancer patients.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/4/2270zincEGFRlung cancerE-cadherinPD-L1 |
| spellingShingle | Emily Scheiermann Mary-Ann Puppa Lothar Rink Inga Wessels Zinc Status Impacts the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Downstream Protein Expression in A549 Cells International Journal of Molecular Sciences zinc EGFR lung cancer E-cadherin PD-L1 |
| title | Zinc Status Impacts the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Downstream Protein Expression in A549 Cells |
| title_full | Zinc Status Impacts the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Downstream Protein Expression in A549 Cells |
| title_fullStr | Zinc Status Impacts the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Downstream Protein Expression in A549 Cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Zinc Status Impacts the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Downstream Protein Expression in A549 Cells |
| title_short | Zinc Status Impacts the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Downstream Protein Expression in A549 Cells |
| title_sort | zinc status impacts the epidermal growth factor receptor and downstream protein expression in a549 cells |
| topic | zinc EGFR lung cancer E-cadherin PD-L1 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/4/2270 |
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