Ionizing radiation induces bidirectional transcriptomic reprogramming and dynamic NOS2/TREM2 regulation in triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize irradiation-associated transcriptomic changes in murine triple-negative breast cancer cells and examine dose- and time-response patterns of selected radiation-responsive candidates.

Materials and methods: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed in 4T1 cells collected 24 h after 4 Gy irradiation, followed by Reactome and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment and gene set enrichment analyses. Representative RNA-seq-derived genes were examined by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and selected immune- and inflammation-related transcripts were further assessed across additional radiation doses and post-irradiation time points. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) protein abundance was assessed by Western blotting, and nitrite accumulation in culture supernatants was measured using a Griess reagent-based assay as an indirect readout of nitric oxide production.

Results: RNA sequencing identified 757 differentially expressed genes, including 285 upregulated and 472 downregulated genes. Irradiation was associated with enrichment of inflammatory, interferon-related, immune-system, and cell-adhesion transcriptional signatures, whereas downregulated genes were enriched in cell-cycle-, chromosome-cohesion-, DNA-damage-response-, DNA-repair-, and SUMOylation-related pathways. Selected immune- and inflammation-related transcripts showed distinct temporal patterns. Nos2 mRNA increased across the examined 0-6 Gy dose range and at later post-irradiation time points, whereas NOS2 protein showed different kinetics, with an early peak after 4 Gy irradiation and no clear further increase above 6 Gy. Nitrite accumulation increased after irradiation. Trem2 showed the largest fold increase among strongly upregulated transcripts identified by RNA-seq, but RT-qPCR detected a significant increase only at 24 h, and TREM2 protein abundance remained unchanged across the examined doses and time points.

Conclusions: Ionizing radiation was associated with broad bidirectional transcriptional remodeling in 4T1 cells, involving immune-, inflammatory-, and interferon-related signatures together with reduced representation of cell-cycle- and DNA-repair-related gene sets. The discordant mRNA and protein patterns of NOS2 and TREM2 indicate that transcript-level responses do not necessarily translate into corresponding protein-level changes. These findings define irradiation-associated molecular responses requiring further functional investigation.