Early induction of stress-associated Src activator/Homo sapiens chromosome 9 open reading frame 10 protein following photodynamic therapy

Summary Background There are proteins, responsible for many basic cell functions (transmission of extracellular signals to cytoplasm or nucleus, cell growth, proliferation, migration, survival), which are activated and overexpressed in response to acute oxidative stress, especially tyrosine kinases. The oxidative stress-associated Src activator/ Homo sapiens chromosome 9 open reading frame 10 protein (Ossa/C9orf10) protects cancer cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis by Src family kinases activation. Methods In this study precursor of protoporphyrin IX, 5-aminolevulinic acid and its encapsulated form were used in treating MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. After light illumination, cells were collected at different time points and used for evaluation (immunocytochemistry, Western blot analysis) of expression of above proteins, c-Src and Ossa. Results Our results showed that 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy caused decrease of c-Src expression at 7 h after irradiation. The strongest expression was observed at 24 h after treatment. Encapsulated form of 5-aminolevulinic acid in terms of PDT caused similar changes of expression of c-Src protein. Furthermore, we observed strong Ossa expression at 7 h after treatment in comparison to very low expression at time points 0, 18 and 24 h. Conclusion We would like to emphasize that our results showed high expression of Ossa at early time interval after PDT, which was accompanied by a low expression of c-Src kinase, what could protect cancer cells from PDT through activation of c-Src in response to oxidative stress.