DNAJB5 (hsc40) gene as a novel biomarker for cervical cancer

Abstract

Cervical cancer is among the most common malignant tumor and leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are reported increasingly as potential biomarkers and drug targets for cancers. DNAJB5 has been shown to be involved in HSP binding and response to unfolded proteins, but its role in cervical cancer remains currently unclear. In this study, DNAJB5 was knocked down in SiHa cells by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) as well as Western blotting. Its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, viability, and cell cycle were investigated by Celigo assay, Annexin V-Allophycocyanin (Annexin V-APC) assay, tetrazolium [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] dye (MTT) assay and propidium iodide (PI) staining assay, respectively. shRNA experiments successfully knocked down DNAJB5 expression, which decreased the proliferation of SiHa cells, reduced the number of viable cells, affected the cell cycle of SiHa cells and increased their apoptosis. The knockdown of DNAJB5 acted as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer cells, suggesting DNAJB5 as a new biomarker candidate and potential target for cervical cancer treatment.