Insulin-like growth factor I receptor regulates the radiation-induced G2/M checkpoint in HeLa cells

Insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) plays pivotal roles in various biological events, including cell growth, transformation, survival, and DNA repair. In this study, we explored its possible involvement in cell cycle checkpoints, using HeLa cells expressing the fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator (Fucci). We found that IGF-IR inhibitor delayed release from radiation-induced G2 arrest, as demonstrated by FACS and pedigree analysis of Fucci fluorescence. Elongated G2 arrest was also induced by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and AKT, but not by inhibitor of MEK, which are two major IGF-IR downstream signaling pathways. Double-strand break (DSB) repair kinetics were not affected by IGF-IR inhibitor. CHK1 inhibitor abrogated radiation-induced G2 arrest, whereas radiation-induced phosphorylation of CHK1 at Ser 345 or Ser 296 was decreased by the IGF-IR inhibitor. However, radiation-induced nuclear localization of CHK1 was prolonged in IGF-IR inhibitor-treated cells in comparison with cells that received radiation alone; in the latter, CHK1 returned to the original diffuse distribution in conjunction with release from G2 arrest. We conclude that IGF-IR directly regulates the G2/M checkpoint via the PI3K/AKT pathway without influencing DSB repair, in part by controlling CHK1 localization between the nucleus and cytoplasm.