ArticleMitochondrion2019
Withaferin A-mediated apoptosis in breast cancer cells is associated with alterations in mitochondrial dynamics.
Article in Mitochondrion, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 52 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mitochondria as the Hub of Apoptosis: A Comprehensive Insight From Mitochondria to Interactions With Other Organelles.MedComm · 2026Review
- Mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies of withaferin A in breast cancer.Pharmacological reports : PR · 2025Review
- Herbal Medicine in Breast Cancer Therapy: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Future Perspectives.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025Review
- Ashwagandha-Induced Programmed Cell Death in the Treatment of Breast Cancer.Current issues in molecular biology · 2024Review
- Drp1: Focus on Diseases Triggered by the Mitochondrial Pathway.Cell biochemistry and biophysics · 2024Review
- The Therapeutic Effects of Withaferin A against Cancer: Overview and Updates.Current molecular medicine · 2024Review
- Intermediate Filaments in Breast Cancer Progression, and Potential Biomarker for Cancer Therapy: A Narrative Review.Breast cancer (Dove Medical Press) · 2024Review
- Therapeutic and pharmacological efficacy of plant-derived bioactive compounds in targeting breast cancer.American journal of translational research · 2024Review
- Withaferin A Increases the Effectiveness of Immune Checkpoint Blocker for the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Cancers · 2023Article
- Withaferin A: A Pleiotropic Anticancer Agent from the Indian Medicinal PlantPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Withaferin A: A Dietary Supplement with Promising Potential as an Anti-Tumor Therapeutic for Cancer Treatment - Pharmacology and Mechanisms.Drug design, development and therapy · 2023Review
- The FoxQ1 transcription factor is a novel regulator of electron transport chain complex I subunits in human breast cancer cells.Molecular carcinogenesis · 2022Article
- Potential Role of Natural Products to Combat Radiotherapy and Their Future Perspectives.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Withaferin A Triggers Apoptosis and DNA Damage in Bladder Cancer J82 Cells through Oxidative Stress.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- A systems pharmacology approach based on oncogenic signalling pathways to determine the mechanisms of action of natural products in breast cancer from transcriptome data.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2021Article
- Potential Mechanism Underlying the Role of Mitochondria in Breast Cancer Drug Resistance and Its Related Treatment Prospects.Frontiers in oncology · 2021Review
- Oxymatrine inhibits proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer cells through the regulation of miRNA-140-5P.American journal of translational research · 2021Article
- "The Loss of Golden Touch": Mitochondria-Organelle Interactions, Metabolism, and Cancer.Cells · 2020Review
- The Potential Role of Nutraceuticals as an Adjuvant in Breast Cancer Patients to Prevent Hair Loss Induced by Endocrine Therapy.Nutrients · 2020Review
- Tackling Chronic Inflammation with Withanolide Phytochemicals-A Withaferin a Perspective.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Withaferin A (WA), a steroidal lactone derived from a medicinal plant (Withania somnifera), inhibits cancer development in transgenic and chemically-induced rodent models of breast cancer but the underlying mechanism is not fully grasped. We have shown previously that WA treatment causes apoptotic cell death in human breast cancer cells that is preceded by inhibition of complex III of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. This study extends these observations to now demonstrate alterations in mitochondrial dynamics in WA-induced apoptosis. Assembly of complex III was decreased in MCF-7 and SUM159 cells but not in MDA-MB-231 as determined by native blue gel electrophoresis. Because WA is a Michael acceptor (electrophile), we explored the possibility of whether it covalently modifies cysteine residue(s) in ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase, Rieske iron-sulfur polypeptide 1 (UQCRFS1). Covalent modification of cysteine in UQCRFS1 was not observed after WA treatment. Instead, WA treatment inhibited chemically-induced mitochondrial fusion and decreased the mitochondrial volume, and this effect was accompanied by a decrease in the expression of proteins involved in fusion process, including mitofusin1, mitofusin2, and full-length optic atrophy protein 1 (OPA1). A loss of volume in fragmented mitochondria also occurred in WA-exposed cells when compared to vehicle-treated control. WA treatment also caused a decrease in protein level of mitochondrial fission-regulating protein dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1). Functional studies revealed that DRP1 deficiency and OPA1 knockdown attenuated apoptotic potential of WA. Taken together, these results indicate that WA not only alters Complex III assembly but also inhibits mitochondrial dynamics in breast cancer cells.
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Registered trials
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