Increase in cell motility by carbon ion irradiation via the Rho signaling pathway and its inhibition by the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells

Murata, Kazutoshi*; Noda, Shinei*; Oike, Takahiro*; Takahashi, Akihisa*; Yoshida, Yukari*; Suzuki, Yoshiyuki*; Ono, Tatsuya*; Funayama, Tomoo; Kobayashi, Yasuhiko; Takahashi, Takeo*; et al.

Journal of Radiation Research, 55(4), p.658 - 664, 2014/07

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rru002

The effect of carbon ion irradiation on cell motility through the Rho signaling pathway in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 was studied. At 48 h after irradiation, the cell motility of A549 cells became significantly greater, and the formation of protrusions significantly increased in cells irradiated with carbon ion. The observed increase in cell motility due to carbon ion irradiation was similar to that observed due to X-ray irradiation. Western-blot analysis showed that carbon ion irradiation increased P-MLC2-S19 expression compared with in unirradiated controls, while total MLC2 expression was unchanged. Exposure to a non-toxic concentration of Y-27632, a specific inhibitor of ROCK, reduced the expression of P-MLC2-S19 after C-ion irradiation, resulting in a significant reduction in migration. These data suggest that carbon irradiation increases cell motility in A549 cells via the Rho signaling pathway and that ROCK inhibition reduces that effect.