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Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Quantifying Replication Stress in Ovarian Cancer Cells Using Single-Stranded DNA Immunofluorescence
Published on: February 10, 2023
POLA1 mediates hexavalent chromium-induced ovarian tumor progression through replication stress and DNA damage
Haoran Guo1, Zeqing Sun2, Mengzhen Li3
1School of Public Health, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261053, China; Medical Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China; Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong 250014, China.
Abstract:
Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), a recognized environmental carcinogen, yet its role in promoting gynecological malignancies remains mechanistically unclear. Here, we demonstrate that chronic, low-dose hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) exposure (0.1 μM) drives ovarian tumorigenesis by inducing replication stress and DNA damage response (DDR) activation. We identify the DNA polymerase α catalytic subunit POLA1 as a critical mediator of this process. In human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells, long-term Cr(VI) exposure (4-8 weeks) triggered S-phase accumulation, γH2AX elevation, and ATR/ATM activation, events dependent on POLA1 recruitment to chromatin. Crucially, genetic ablation of POLA1 reversed Cr(VI)-induced replication stress and suppressed tumor proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. These findings reveal a novel Cr(VI)-POLA1-DNA damage axis in environmental carcinogenesis, highlighting POLA1 as a potential target for preventive intervention in metal-induced malignancies.
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