Buenos Aires
Breast Cancer
Symposium

BA-BCS 2024

September 3 – 6, 2024

IFIBYNE Auditorium, FCEN-UBA

Poster No. 78

CYTOTOXIC ACTION OF SHIGA TOXIN IN TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER: POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC USE AND INVOLVEMENT OF TDP-43

Alipio Pinto1, Noelia Victoria Miret2, Ana Belen Ramos Aloi1, Florescia Vassallu3, Lionel Muller Igaz3, Andrea Silvana Randi2, Jorge Goldstein1

1.niversidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas. Laboratorio de Neurofisiopatología. Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2.Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Laboratorio de Efectos Biológicos de Contaminantes Ambientales, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 3.Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas. Grupo de Neurociencia de Sistemas. Buenos Aires, Argentina. .

Presenting Autor:
Vasconcelos Esteves Pinto, Alipio

Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas. Laboratorio de Neurofisiopatología. Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Shiga toxin (Stx) causes hemolytic uremic syndrome. The cytotoxic effect of Stx is mediated by its receptor, globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), which has a limited expression profile in human cells but is overexpressed in many neoplastic cells, including breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and difficult to treat. On the other hand, TDP-43 is a key protein in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, and both TDP-43 aggregation and abnormal cytoplasmic mislocalization are critical features leading to neuronal degeneration. However, little is known about its role in other diseases, such as cancer. In this work we explore a) the potential of Stx as a novel cytotoxic agent in the human TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231, and b) the changes in TDP-43 elicited by these toxins. TNBC cells were treated with Stx1, Stx2, or anti-Gb3 antibody, while the non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cell line NMuMG and VERO cells were used as negative and positive controls for Gb3 expression, respectively. Gb3 expression and Stx uptake were observed in MDA-MB-231 and VERO cells. MTT assay results showed that 10 ng/ml of Stx1, Stx2, and anti-Gb3 significantly reduced TNBC cell viability by 50%, 40%, and 10% respectively after 48 hours. Moreover, 10 ng/ml of these toxins significantly increased the number of cells with karyorrhexis and autophagy. In addition, these treatments reduced the percentage of mitotic cells, BrdU incorporation and cell migration rate. Pre-incubation with PPMP (a Gb3 synthesis inhibitor) significantly reversed all observed effects. Remarkably, Stx significantly increased both total TDP-43 expression and cytoplasmic mislocalization, while both parameters were significantly decreased when cells were also treated with PPMP. In summary, MDA-MB-231 cells are susceptible to Stx and anti-Gb3, suggesting that Stx could be used as an antineoplastic agent in TNBC. We also propose that TDP-43 may play a role in Stx2-mediated cytotoxicity.

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