Enhancement of cisplatin sensitivity in high mobility group 2 cDNA-transfected human lung cancer cells

To elucidate the role of high mobility group 2 protein (HMG2) in cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cisplatin, CDDP) sensitivity, we constructed a human HMG2-transfected human non-small cell lung cancer cell line, PC-14/HMG2. The HMG2 mRNA expression level was approximately twice those of parental PC-14 and mock-transfected PC-14/CMV. Gel mobility shift assay revealed a CDDP-treated DNA-protein complex in the nuclear extract of PC-14/HMG2, which was not found in the extracts of PC-14 and PC-14/CMV. This complex formation was subject to competition by CDDP-treated non-specific salmon sperm DNA, indicating that ectopic HMG2 recognizes CDDP-damaged DNA. PC-14/HMG2 showed more than 3-fold higher sensitivity to CDDP than PC-14 and PC-14/CMV. The intracellular platinum content of PC-14/HMG2 after exposure to 300 mu M CDDP was 1.1 and 1.5 times that of PC-14 and PC-14/CMV, respectively. Cellular glutathione levels were not different in these cell lines. Repair of DNA interstrand cross-links determined by alkaline elution assay was decreased in PC-14/HMG2. These results suggest that HMG2 may enhance the CDDP sensitivity of cells by inhibiting repair of the DNA lesion induced by CDDP.