Silencing the Peroxiredoxin III gene inhibits cell proliferation in breast cancer

Peroxiredoxin III (Prx III), an antioxidant protein found in mitochondria, plays an essential role in mitochondrial homeostasis. Aberrant expression of Prx III has been implicated in the tumorigenesis of various cancers. In this study, we evaluated the expression of Prx III in breast cancer tissues and elucidated its role in cell proliferation, a hallmark of cancer. Breast tissue microarrays comprising 106 breast cancer sections were stained with Prx III antibody using immunohistochemisty and correlated with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunostaining. To validate the role of Prx III in cell proliferation, expression of Prx III was analyzed at the mRNA and protein levels by real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence in vitro. siRNA mediated silencing of Prx III in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells was performed and the effect on the cell cycle was examined. Prx III expression in patient tissue microarray samples was found to be positively associated with PCNA immunostaining, a proliferative marker. Prx III was expressed in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines and transient transfection with siPrx III in MDA-MB-231 cells induced inhibition of cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest. The data suggests that Prx III has a significant role in cell cycle regulation and could be a potential proliferation marker in breast cancer.