Effects of antisense CENP-B on the proliferation of HeLa (Tet-off) cells

In order to study the change of the expression of centromere protein B (CENP-B) caused by antisense transfection, proto-eukaryotically expressed fused protein GST-CENP-B (65 ku) was injected into mouse, and a peculiar anti-CENP-B serum MaCenpB was collected. A strain of transfected HeLa Tet-off cell HaCb, which contains antisense CENP-B expressing vector pBI-EGFP-as-CenpB, was prepared. Northern blot and Western blot were used to analyze the repression of internal CENP-B in transfected cells. According to the growth curve, the proliferation of HeLa (Tet-off) is repressed by antisense CENP-B, and the multiplication time is prolonged for 32.81 h. The analysis of flow cytometry revealed that, compared with HeLa (Tet-off), the G₁ cell population of HaCb is increased (ΔG₁= 9%) while S fraction is decreased (ΔS = 11%), but the G₂/M phase is nearly unchanged (ΔG₂/M=3%). In the meanwhile, the mitotic index of HaCb declines greatly compared with that of HeLa (Tet-off). Immunofluorescence showed that the assembling of centromeres in HaCb cell is arrested. These results suggest that a normal expression of CENP-B may be necessary for cell proliferation.