Regulator of G protein signaling 6 (RGS6) induces apoptosis via a mitochondrial-dependent pathway not involving its GTPase-activating protein activity.

ABSTRACT: Regulator of G protein signaling 6 (RGS6) is a member of a family of proteins called RGS proteins, which function as GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) for Gα subunits. Given the role of RGS6 as a G protein GAP, the link between G protein activation and cancer, and a reduction of cancer risk in humans expressing a RGS6 SNP leading to its increased translation, we hypothesized that RGS6 might function to inhibit growth of cancer cells. Here, we show a marked down-regulation of RGS6 in human mammary ductal epithelial cells that correlates with the progression of their transformation. RGS6 exhibited impressive antiproliferative actions in breast cancer cells, including inhibition of cell growth and colony formation and induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by mechanisms independent of p

SUBMITTER: Maity B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3020749 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature