Ultraviolet radiation (UV) induces f-action rearrangement and cell death in the A549 human lung cancer cell line

Abstract

The human lung cancer cell line, A549, was employed to investigate the effect of UV radiation on the actin cytoskeleton organization in relation to its potential involvement in cell death processes. The light and electron microscopy analysis was performed to find the morphological signs of cell death in UV-treated A549 cells. In turn, the F-actin architecture was determined using fluorescence microscopy after phalloidin-Alexa Fluor 488 staining. We observed apoptosis as well as mitotic catastrophe-like morphological changes in A549 cells exposed to UV radiation. We also found the vacuoles in the cytoplasm of UV-exposed A549 cells, which are considered to be indicative of autophagy. All morphological effects of UV radiation were time-dependent. Furthermore, alterations in cell morphology corresponded with actin cytoskeleton reorganization. F-actin was presented in the form of dense ring-like structures surrounding the nuclei of cells with apoptotic-like phenotype. Moreover, in some of these cells depolymerization of F-actin occurred. On the other hand, the enlarged cells exhibited strongly expanded actin network. Our study revealed that ultraviolet radiation induced F-actin reorganization, which was accompanied by the characteristic apoptotic features. These results also suggest that UV induces not only the apoptosis but also the non-apoptotic cell deaths and in each of these processes reorganization of actin cytoskeleton is essential.