Journal of Genetic Syndromes & Gene Therapy
Open Access
ISSN: ISSN: 2157-7412
ISSN: ISSN: 2157-7412
Venkatachalam KV
Department of Biochemistry, College of Medical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, NSU, 3200 South University Dr, Ft. Lauderdale, FL,
Tanzania
Research Article
Methionine γ-Lyase 2-AminoButyrate Deaminase (MEGL-2ABD) as a Gene Therapeutic Agent for Cancers
Author(s): Faria PA, Laubach H and Venkatachalam KVFaria PA, Laubach H and Venkatachalam KV
Methionine is a key nutrient that is required for many metabolic processes/pathways. In bacteria methionine is cleaved into methanethiol and 2-aminobutyrate which is deaminated into α-ketobutyrate and ammonia by methionine γ-lyase 2-aminobutyrate deaminase (MEGL-2ABD); an enzyme that is absent in mammals. We have molecularly cloned Porphyromonas gingivalis, DNA (FJ875028) of MEGL-2ABD gene into pEGFP-C3 mammalian expression vector and have transfected the construct into various cancer cell lines such as Hela, HEK-AD293T, BHK-21, methionine dependent prostate PC-3, and independent DU-145 cancer cell lines. Confocal microscopy evinced two interesting observations that occur under methionine deprivation due to MEGL-2ABD. 1. Severe cell aggregation and 2.Cell death perhaps due to apoptotic signaling. Both of these processes are reversed by propargylglycine, an inhibitor of MEG.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2157-7412.1000125