IRE1 KNOCKDOWN MODIFIES THE GLUTAMINE AND GLUCOSE DEPRIVATION EFFECT ON THE EXPRESSION OF NUCLEAR GENES ENCODING MITOCHONDRIAL PROTEINS IN U87 GLIOMA CELLS

We have studied the glucose and glutamine deprivation effect on the expression of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins in U87 glioma cells in relation to inhibition of inositol requiring enzyme-1 (IRE1). It was shown that glutamine deprivation down-regulated the expression of mitochondrial (NADP+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2), malic enzyme 2 (ME2), mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (GOT2), and subunit B of succinate dehydrogenase (SDHB) genes in control glioma cells in gene specific manner. At the same time, the expression level of malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2) and subunit D of succinate dehydrogenase (SDHD) genes in these cells was not changed upon glutamine deprivation. It was also shown that inhibition of ІRE1 signaling enzyme function in U87 glioma cells modified the glutamine deprivation effect on the expression of all studied genes. Furthermore, the expression of the majority of studied genes was resistant to glucose deprivation, except IDH2 and SDHB genes, which expression levels were slightly down-regulated. Inhibition of IRE1 modified the effect of glucose deprivation on ME2, SDHB, SDHD, and GOT2 genes expression. Therefore, glucose and glutamine deprivation affected the expression level of the majority of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins in relation to the functional activity of IRE1 enzyme, which is a central mediator of endoplasmic reticulum stress and controls cell proliferation and tumor growth.