Effect of hypoxia and glutamine or glucose deprivation on the expression of retinoblastoma and retinoblastoma-related genes in ERN1 knockdown glioma U87 cell line

The expression of retinoblastoma and several retinoblastoma-related genes was studied in glioma cell line U87 and its subline with knockdown of ERN1 (endoplasmic reticulum—nuclei-1), the main endoplasmic reticulum stress sensing and signaling enzyme. It was shown that a blockade of the ERN1 enzyme function increases the expression levels of retinoblastoma, retinoblastoma-like 1 and most retinoblastoma related genes: EID1, JARID1B, E2F1, E2F3, RBAP48 and CTIP, does not change RNF40 and RBAP46 and decreases KDM5A. We have also demonstrated that hypoxia reduces the expression levels of retinoblastoma, EID1, and E2F1 in ERN1-deficient glioma cells only. At the same time, the expression levels of retinoblastoma-like 1, E2F3, RBAP46, RBAP48 and CTIP decrease, while JARID1B and RBBP2 increase in both types of cells in hypoxic conditions, but the expression is much stronger in cells with suppressed function of ERN1. The expression level of JARID1B and KDM5A mRNA is also enhanced in glutamine deprivation condition in both tested cell types, moreover, this effect is amplified by the blockade of the ERN1 enzyme function. The expression levels of retinoblastoma, EID1, RBAP48, and E2F3 are decreased in glutamine deprivation condition only in ERN1-deficient glioma cells, but RBL1, CTIP, RBAP46, and E2F1—in both tested cell types with more significant effect in ERN1deficient cells. Glucose deprivation condition leads to a decrease of expression levels of retinoblastoma, RBL1, E2F3, RBAP46, and RBAP48 in both used cell types and of EID1 and E2F1 only in glioma cells with suppressed function of signaling enzyme ERN1. Thus, expression levels of retinoblastoma and most retinoblastoma-related genes are increased under a blockade of ERN1 enzyme function and significantly changed in hypoxia, glucose or glutamine deprivation conditions both in control U87 cells and ERN1-deficient cells, but inhibition of the unfolded protein response sensor ERN1 predominantly enhances these effects. Moreover, it is possible that the induction of the expression of retinoblastoma and most retinoblastomarelated genes after knockdown of ERN1 plays an important role in suppression of glioma proliferation.