Effects of Fusobacterium nucleatum on migration and cytokines production of ags gastric adenocarcinoma cell line

Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is an important risk factor for GC. However, the etiology of the tumor is multifactorial, since only 1-3% of infected patients develop cancer. Therefore, attention should be focused on the role of microbiota in gastric tumorigenesis since in some studies an alteration of the microbiota in GC has been shown. Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) has been found in biopsies of patients with GC. However, since its role is not clearly established, this study investigated the effects of Fn infection on the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS. Our results showed that Fn co-localized at level of the plasma membrane demonstrating the ability of Fn to adhere to AGS cells. In addition, increases in incubation times were associated with its intra-cellular localization with loss of the classic curved rod shape. Interestingly, Fn determined a greater capacity of cell migration compared to untreated AGS cells. Moreover, IL-4 expression significantly increased in Fn infected GC cells. Since cancer cell migration is an integral component of the metastatic process, additional studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying the Fn/host interaction.