Adriamycin resistance-associated prohibitin gene inhibits proliferation of human osteosarcoma MG63 cells by interacting with oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes

The resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents is a major obstacle for successful chemotherapy, and the mechanism of chemoresistance remains unclear. The present study developed an adriamycin-resistant human osteosarcoma MG-63 sub-line (MG-63/ADR), and identified differentially expressed proteins that may be associated with adriamycin resistance. Two dimensional gel electrophoresis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis and a protein identification assay were performed. Western blot analysis was used to examine the prohibitin (PHB) levels in the MG-63/ADR cells. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was utilized to detect adriamycin resistant-associated genes. Laser-scanning confocal microscope was employed to examine the colocalization of PHB with v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (c-myc), FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (c-fos), tumor protein p53 and retinoblastoma 1 (Rb). In addition, the full length of the open reading frame of human PHB was subcloned into a lentiviral vector pLVX-puro. The proliferative rate of MG-63 cells was also investigated. The overall protein expression in MG-63/ADR cells was clearly suppressed. Three notable protein regions, representing high mobility group box 1, Ras homolog gene family, member A, and PHB, were identified to be significantly altered in MG-63/ADR cells when compared with its parental cells. Therefore, PHB modulated the chemoresistance of MG-63/ADR cells by interacting with multiple oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes (c-myc, c-fos, p53 and Rb). In addition, overexpression of PHB decreases the proliferative rate of MG-63 cells. In conclusion, PHB is an adriamycin resistance-associated gene, which may inhibit the proliferation of human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells by interacting with the oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, c-myc, c-fos, p53 and Rb.