CDCA4, a downstream gene of the Nrf2 signaling pathway, regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis in the MCF-7/ADM human breast cancer cell line

The present study aimed to examine the effect of RNA interference targeting cell division cycle‑associated protein 4 (CDCA4) on the proliferation and apoptosis of the MCF‑7/ADR' human breast cancer cell line. CDCA4 has been shown to have a unique role in regulating cell cycle. In the present study, the expression of CDCA4 was suppressed by CDCA4‑specific short hairpin (sh)RNA transfection of the human breast cancer cells, following which changes in the proliferation and apoptosis of the CDCA4‑knockdown cells were compared with those of control shRNA‑transfected cells. The results confirmed that CDCA4 RNA interference reduced the percentage of human breast cancer cells to <50%. In addition, RNA interference of CDCA4 resulted in a significant increase in the apoptotic rate of cells. Taken together, these results suggested that CDCA4 enhanced proliferation and reduced apoptosis in the MCF‑7/ADM human breast cancer cells in vitro.