Mucinous colorectal cancer (CRC) represents 10% of all CRC and is associated with chemotherapy resistance. This study aimed to determine expression of apoptosis and necroptosis mediators in mucinous CRC.
RNA gene expression data were extracted from TCGA. Protein levels in 14 mucinous and 39 non-mucinous tumors were measured by multiplexed immunofluorescence. Levels of apoptosis and necroptosis signalling proteins were analysed in SW1463 (mucinous rectal), SW837 (non-mucinous rectal), LS174T (mucinous colon) and HCT116 (non-mucinous colon) cell lines by western blot. Cell death was investigated by flow cytometry measurement of propidium iodide stained cells.
High cleaved-Caspase 3 expression was noted in resected mucinous tumors. Western blot identified alterations in apoptosis proteins in mucinous CRC, most prominently downregulation of Bcl-xL protein levels (p=0.029) which was also observed at the mRNA level in patients by analysis of TCGA gene expression data (p<0.001). Treatment with 5-FU did not significantly elevate cell death in mucinous cells, while non-mucinous cells showed robust cell death responses. However, 5-FU-induced phosphorylation of MLKL in mucinous cancer cells, suggestive of a switch to necroptotic cell death signaling.
Apoptotic and necroptotic mediators are differentially expressed in mucinous and non-mucinous colorectal cancers and represent targets for investigation of cell death mechanisms in the mucinous subtype.