Methanolic extract of Teucrium persicum up-regulates and induces the membrane restoration of E-cadherin protein in PC-3 cells

ABSTRACT

Teucrium persicum Boiss. an Iranian endemic plant is used in Iranian traditional medicine. E-cadherin transmembrane protein participates in adherens junctions and is the main partner for β-catenin protein. The GC-MS analysis was used to detect the chemical constituents of the methanolic extract. Its effects on the transcription of the E-cadherin encoding gene, cellular levels, and localization of E-cadherin protein in PC-3 cells were investigated. About 70 chemical constituents were identified. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and western blotting results revealed the restoration of E-cadherin protein at cell adhesion contact sites in cells treated with T. persicum extract. Gene expression studies revealed that the extract increased the transcription of the E-cadherin encoding gene in PC-3 cells. These results suggest that T. persicum extract may contain potent compounds that provide further support for the anticancer properties of T. persicum. Surely, detailed molecular investigations are needed to find the mechanism(s) behind these effects.

KEYWORDS:

• Teucrium persicum
• PC-3 cells
• Epithelial morphology
• E-cadherin protein
• Adherens junction

Highlights

• Teucrium persicum is an Iranian endemic plant that is used in Iranian traditional medicine to treat abdominal pains and diabetes.

• Our previous published studies showed the cytotoxic, antioxidant and apoptosis-inducing potentials of methanolic extract of Teucrium persicum.

• The methanolic extract of Teucrium persicum induces transcription of E-cadherin encoding gene and membrane restoration of E-cadherin protein in PC-3 cells.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Alireza Naqinazhad from the Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Mazandaran for confirming the collected plant species.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Abbreviations

CDH1, Cadherin 1; EDTA, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transition; FITC, Fluorescein isothiocyanate; MET, mesenchymal-epithelial transition; PBS, Phosphate-buffered saline; RPM, revolutions per minute; RPMI, Roswell Park Memorial Institute Medium; SD, standard deviation; SDS-PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; SPSS, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.

Authors’contributions

A.N.:Investigation.

F.E.: Investigation.

M.T.:Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Data Curation, Writing-Original draft preparation, Writing- Reviewing and Editing.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the University of Mazandaran Research Department.