Effect of mitochondria-targeted derivative of curcumin (Mitocurcumin; MC ) on gene expression in human Triple Negative Breast Cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231.

RNA sequencing was performed to elucidate the anti-cancer mechanism of action of mitocurcumin in MDA-MB-231 Triple Negative Breast Cancer cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that mitocurcumin-treatment led to significant down-regulation of genes regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, vasculature development and DNA-binding transcription activator activity while the significantly up-regulated genes associated with starvation, oxidative stress, response to unfolded proteins and topologically incorrect proteins and intrinsic apoptosis. Mechanistically, in vitro and transcriptomics confirmed mitocurcumin-mediated induction of mitochondrial oxidative stress, bioenergetic stress and proteotoxic stress culminating in apoptosis. Gene expression profiling analysis of Human Triple Negative Breast Cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231 cells, treated with 5µM mitocurcumin for 9h (Treatment group) and DMSO-vehicle treated cells (Control group)