Expression data of human melanoma cell lines treated with siRNA targeting SR-BI or with the pharmacologic inhibitor BLT-1

Melanoma patients with high mRNA levels of the HDL receptor SR-BI (SCARB1) reveal poor survival outcome. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of SR-BI in cancer progression. Therefore, SR-BI was targeted either by siRNA or by using the SR-BI specific lipid transfer inhibitor BLT-1. The SR-BI knockdown specifically revealed reduced protein glycosylation, STAT5 target gene expression and EMT pathway activation. Thus, SR-BI target genes reflect the metastatic phenotype in melanoma cells. We used the transcriptome analysis to compare SR-BI depletion to BLT-1 treatment (which specifically blocks SR-BI mediated lipid transfer) in human melanoma cells. Three human metastasizing melanoma cell lines were treated with BLT-1 or SR-BI siRNA. Thereafter total RNA was isolated and an Affymetrix microarray was performed.