Radiation-induced mitotic catastrophe is associated with down-regulated ribosomal biosynthesis and mitosis genes

摘要

We aimed to explore the tolerance of esophageal cancer cells to radiation and to observe the morphological and gene expression changes in the cells following irradiation. The esophageal cancer cell line, Eca109, was cultured in vitro and was irradiated with a 6-MeV electron beam at a dose of 3 Gy once every other day, resulting in a cumulative dose of 15 Gy to 21 Gy. After radiotherapy, total RNA was extracted and was analyzed using a whole-transcription expression chip, and non-irradiated Eca109 cells were used as control. Gene ontology and pathway analyses were then performed on the differentially expressed genes. Approximately 99 of adherent cells were transformed into giant, malformed, multinucleated cells with mitotic catastrophe. One week after radiation was ceased, cells with normal morphology were observed adjacent to the cells with mitotic catastrophe, and over time, they formed clones. Ribosomal biosynthesis, mitotic nuclear division biological processes, and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis might be the important mechanisms involved in radiation-induced mitotic catastrophe.