Cyclin E1 knockdown induces apoptosis in cancer cells
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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics
Published on: May 14, 2016
Esteban N Gurzov1, Marta Izquierdo
1Departament of Molecular Biology, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain.
Objectives:
Cyclin E1 is expressed during the late G1 phase of the cell cycle and mediates the initiation of DNA synthesis by activating cyclin-dependent kinases 2 (CDK2). Abnormally high levels of cyclin E1 expression have frequently been found in cancer cells. Here, we investigate the effect of cyclin E1 knockdown on cancer cells.
Methods:
RNA interference, expressed from a DNA-based retroviral vector, was used to knockdown cyclin E1 in adenocarcinoma (HeLa), breast (MDA-MB-31) and glioblastoma (U-373-MG) cell lines and an explant from one glioma patient (GB-LP-2).
Results:
We have obtained very efficient depletion of cyclin E1 protein (over 80%) and considerable apoptotic induction (50-70%) after 96 hours post-infection. The ability of U-373-MG cells to induce tumor growth in nude mice was also abolished after cyclin E1 knockdown.
Discussion:
Our results indicate that retrovirus carrying the DNA to be transcribed into a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against cyclin E1 could be used as a therapeutic agent for cancer therapy.
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