P66shc action on resistance of colon carcinoma RKO cells to oxidative stress

: P66shc protein is an alternative transcript product of SHC1 gene. While two other isoforms (p52shc and p46shc) have adaptor function in RAS signaling pathway, p66shc regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. P66shc genome knockout significantly extends lifespan in mice. Though p66shc was determined to translocate into mitochondria and led to increase in intracellular ROS, the mechanism by which the protein take part in signaling pathways that regulates resistance to cellular stresses remains poorly studied. P66shc has an important role in carcinogenesis and its increased expression correlates with poor prognosis in colon cancer. In this work we have applied RNA interference using lentiviral constructions that express short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against N-terminal CH2 domain of p66shc isoform. Using this approach p66 but not p52 and p46 SHC1 isoform expression was selectively suppressed in colon carcinoma RKO cells. RKO cells with p66shc knockdown have shown to be more resistant to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide or serum starvation. Fragmentation of mitochondria that depends on mitochondrial ROS accumulation during oxidative stress was significantly decreased in this cells. The data obtained are in agreement with hypothesis that p66shc participates in ROS accumulation in mitochondria and by this means promotes induction of apoptosis.