Study of ARHGAP21 protein in the glycolytic pathway of prostate adenocarcinoma cells

• Grant number: 13/15900-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2013
• End date: December 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Lazarini
• Grantee: Luciana Bueno de Paiva
• Host Institution: Centro de Hematologia e Hemoterapia (HEMOCENTRO). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

ARHGAP21 is a RhoGAP protein with important functions in neoplastic cells, such as migration proliferation and in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. ARHGAP21 expression is altered in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in patients with head and neck cancer. Moreover, ARHGAP21 silencing in prostate cancer cells induced changes in the expression of genes involved in the glycolytic pathway and also in autophagy-related genes. It is known that neoplastic cells, including prostate cancer cells, exhibit alterations in cellular metabolism in order to maintain high taxes of cell proliferation. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms related to the energy metabolism prostate cancer cells may help to understand this disease and point towards new therapeutic interventions. Autophagy is a process triggered by stress, such as nutrient deprivation, and serves primarily to cell survival. However, depending on the intensity and duration of the stress, the cells undergo to death. The objective of this study is to evaluate the participation of ARHGAP21 protein in the glycolytic pathway. Therefore, different cellular processes, such as apoptosis and autophagy, will be evaluated prostate cancer cells submitted to metabolic stress.