Down-regulation of S100A9 and S100A10 in manganese-resistant RBL-2H3 cells

Hitomi Fujishiro1, Toshinao Ohashi, Miki Takuma

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Nutrition and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University.

Insights

Researchers developed manganese-resistant cells to study protection against manganese toxicity. They identified down-regulated S100a9 and S100a10 genes, suggesting a role in manganese neurotoxicity.

Area of Science:

  • Neurotoxicology
  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Excess manganese exposure causes neurotoxicity, mimicking Parkinsonism.
  • Endogenous protective factors against manganese toxicity are not well understood.
  • Rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells are particularly sensitive to manganese chloride (MnCl₂).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify genes involved in cellular resistance to manganese toxicity.
  • To compare gene expression profiles between manganese-sensitive and manganese-resistant cell lines.

Main Methods:

  • Developed two manganese-resistant cell lines (RBL-Mnr300 and RBL-Mnr1200) from RBL-2H3 cells.
  • Utilized microarray analysis to compare gene expression between parental and resistant cells.
  • Confirmed gene expression changes using real-time RT-PCR.

Main Results:

  • Identified five genes with >10-fold up-regulation and 24 genes with <0.1-fold down-regulation in both resistant cell lines.
  • Found S100a9 and S100a10 genes, encoding calcium-binding proteins, among the most down-regulated genes.
  • Confirmed significant decreases in S100a9 and S100a10 mRNA levels in resistant cells.

Conclusions:

  • The study identified novel genes potentially involved in manganese toxicity resistance.
  • Down-regulation of S100a9 and S100a10 may play a role in cellular defense against manganese.
  • Further research on these Mn-resistant cells could reveal new therapeutic targets for manganese neurotoxicity.