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β-Tubulin Isoforms Related to Docetaxel Sensitivity in 2D and 3D Cultured TNBC Cell Lines
Masako Muguruma1, Mariko Asaoka1, Saeko Teraoka1
1Department of Breast Oncology and Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Background/Aim:
We previously reported that the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of cisplatin and epirubicin correlated in 13 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines between two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) culture methods. However, the IC50 values of docetaxel (DTX) did not correlate between the two culture methods. We hypothesized that this non-correlation is partly associated with differences in expression of the β-tubulin isoform, the target molecule of DTX and in morphology depending on the culture method.
Materials And Methods:
We investigated the expression levels of β-tubulin isoforms by real-time polymerase chain reaction and morphology of spheroid formation in the 13 TNBC cell lines cultured using the 2D and 3D culture methods.
Results:
Tubulin β class I (TUBB) expression levels were negatively correlated with the IC50 value of DTX in the 2D culture method (R=-0.360), whereas tubulin β class IIa (TUBB2a) expression levels were positively correlated in the 3D culture method (R=0.398). There was no significant difference in the expression levels of β-tubulin isoforms between the 2D and 3D culture methods. The spheroids were classified morphologically into three types: round, mass, and grape-like. However, no clear association was found between DTX sensitivity and morphology.
Conclusion:
The non-correlation of the IC50 values of DTX between the 2D and 3D culture methods does not appear to be due to the changes in β-tubulin isoforms. Morphology in the 3D culture method may play some role in drug sensitivity.
