Opa Interacting Protein 5 (OIP5)

Neisseria gonorrhoeae opacity-associated (Opa) proteins are a family of outer membrane proteins involved in gonococcal adhesion to and invasion of human cells. Opa expression appears to be necessary for gonococcal disease. OIP5 was upregulated about 3.7-fold in tumors and over 2-fold in 58 out of 66 colorectal cancer patients. Knockdown of OIP5 expression by small interfering RNA specific to OIP5 (siOIP5) resulted in growth inhibition of colorectal and gastric cancer cell lines. Growth inhibition of SNU638 by siOIP5 caused an increase in sub-G1 DNA content, as measured by flow cytometry, as well as an apoptotic gene expression profile. knockdown of OIP5 may induce apoptosis in cancer cells. OIP5 might be a potential cancer therapeutic target, although the mechanisms of OIP5-induced carcinogenesis should be elucidated.