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Folic acid rivals methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene-silencing effect on MEPM cell proliferation and apoptosis

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A Correction to this article was published on 27 December 2022

An Erratum to this article was published on 10 November 2006

This article has been updated

Abstract

It's clear that environmental factors play a role in the aetiology of orofacial clefting (OFC) and an important area of future research will be to unravel interactions that occur between candidate genes and environmental factors during early development of the embryo. Periconceptional folic acid supplementation may reduce the risk of OFC. Polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene reduce availability of 5-methylenetetrahydrofolate, the predominant circulating form of folic acid. To determine the effect of MTHFR gene mutation on murine embryonic palatal mesenchymal (MEPM) cells and the interaction with folic acid supplement, we used RNAi study in the primary cultures of MEPM cells. The cells of MTHFR gene silencing grew slower and the apoptosis cell number was more than the cells of control. Supplement with 20μg/ml folic acid was the best to preventing teratogenic effect of MTHFR gene silencing. By flow cytometry analysis of cell cycle, results were shown that the MEPM cells were retarded in G0/G1 after MTHFR gene silencing. While using 20μg/ml folic acid supplements could make cell transit the G1/S restriction point and the cells growth was close to normal level.

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Abbreviations

MTHFR:

methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase

OFC:

orofacial clefting

CL/P:

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate

CP:

cleft palate only

PCR:

polymerase chain reaction

RNAi:

RNA interference

siRNA:

small interference RNA

shRNA:

short hairpin RNA

DMEM:

Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium

F-12:

Ham's Medium F-12

FBS:

fetal bovine serum

FCM:

Flow cytometry

PBS:

phosphate-buffered saline

CMF:

Ca-Mg free

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, The People's Republic of China

    Wen-lin Xiao & Bing Shi (Dr.)

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of North Dakota, Dakota, USA

    Min Wu

  3. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, West China College of Stomatology of Sichuan University, No. 14, Section 3, Ren Min Nan Road, Chengdu, 610041, The People's Republic of China

    Bing Shi (Dr.)

Authors
  1. Wen-lin Xiao
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  2. Min Wu
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Correspondence to Bing Shi.

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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11010-006-9300-x

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Xiao, Wl., Wu, M. & Shi, B. Folic acid rivals methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene-silencing effect on MEPM cell proliferation and apoptosis. Mol Cell Biochem 292, 145–154 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-006-9228-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-006-9228-1

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