Bamboo shoots-derived nanovesicles (BSNs) induce apoptosis in non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cells through the p53 signaling pathway

Ruihua Bai^*

• China National Bamboo Research Center, Hangzhou, China

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Nanovesicles have been demonstrated to be important mediators of intercellular communication in NSCLC. Plant-derived nanovesicles contain lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and pharmacologically active substances and have received increasing attention as promising anticancer agents based on their easy availability, low toxicity, and proven efficacy. However, the information on edible plant-derived nanovesicles on their role in affecting cancer is poorly understood. It is the first identification of bamboo shoot-derived nanovesicles (BSN) with an integral membrane and an average size of around 100nm by differential centrifugation. In the present study, A549 cancer cells were employed as an in vitro model for NSCLC. We found that BSN could be internalized by A549 cells and inhibited A549 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, but this suppressive effect was absent in non-cancer cells (3T3-L1 and RAW264.7) and another cancer cell type (Hela). RNAseq experiments revealed that BSN was mainly involved in the cell cycle and p53 signaling pathway. Most of the Top 20 core genes (13/20) in the protein-protein interactional network (PPI) were associated with Akt pathways. We demonstrated that BSN promoted apoptosis in A549 cells through the Akt/p53 pathway by flow cytometry and western blot. Overall, this study suggested that BSN selectively targeted cancer cells and induced apoptosis to exert its anti-tumor effects on A549 cells, suggesting the possible use of BSN as a promising cancer therapeutic.