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Gallic acid induces mitotic catastrophe and inhibits centrosomal clustering in HeLa cells

Si Tan1, Xin Guan2, Christoph Grün3

  • 1College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Molecular Cell Biology, Botanical Institute 1, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany; Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen 76344, Germany.

Toxicology in Vitro : an International Journal Published in Association with BIBRA
|September 15, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Gallic acid (GA) halts cancer cell division by disrupting centrosomal clustering, leading to cell cycle arrest and mitotic catastrophe. This suggests GA

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cancer cells exhibit rapid division, making them targets for anticancer drugs.
  • Gallic acid (GA), a polyphenol, demonstrates toxicity towards specific cancer cells.
  • The precise cellular mechanisms underlying GA's anticancer effects remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of gallic acid (GA) on the mitosis of cancer cells.
  • To elucidate the cellular mode of action of GA in cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • HeLa cells were treated with varying concentrations of GA over different time periods.
  • Cell viability was assessed using standard assays.
  • Cell cycle progression and arrest were analyzed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).
  • Mitotic aberrations, including centrosomal clustering and multinucleation, were examined.

Main Results:

  • GA inhibited HeLa cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner.
  • FACS analysis revealed a significant increase in cells arrested at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle.
  • Observed aberrations included mitotic catastrophe and the formation of multinucleated cells.
  • Impaired centrosomal clustering preceded these mitotic abnormalities.

Conclusions:

  • GA disrupts the cell cycle at the G2/M phase by impairing centrosomal clustering.
  • This impairment triggers mitotic catastrophe, leading to cancer cell death.
  • GA shows potential as an anticancer compound, particularly against cervical cancer.
Keywords:
Cell-cycle arrestCentrosome clusteringGallic acid (GA)HeLaMitotic catastrophe

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