ACBG2 Transporter reduces protein aggregation in cigarette smoke condensate-exposed A549 lung cancer cells

Cigarette smoke-induced protein aggregation damages the lung cells in emphysema and COPD, however, lung cancer cels continue to thrive, evolving to persist in the toxic environment. Here we showed that upon the cigarette smoke condensate exposure, A540 lung cancer cells exhibit a reduced level of protein aggregation when compared to non-cancerous Beas-2B cells. Our data suggests that upregulation of efflux pumps in cancer cells assists in reducing smoke toxicity. Specifically, we demonstrated that inhibition of the ABCG2 transporter in A549 cells by febuxostat or its downregulation by shRNA-mediated RNA interference resulted in a significant increase in protein aggregation due to smoke exposure. These results imply that ABCG2 transporter may play a role in selection of lung cancer cells resistant to cigarette smoke toxicity.