Effect of Gene 33/Mig6/ERRFI1 on hexavalent chromium-induced transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells depends on the length of exposure.

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) compounds are environmental and occupational lung carcinogens. The present study followed the chronic effect of Cr(VI) on the neoplastic transformation of BEAS-2B lung bronchial epithelial cells with or without deletion of Gene 33 (Mig6, EFFRI1), a multifunctional adaptor protein. We find that Gene 33-deleted cells exhibit increased anchorage-independent growth compared to control cells after transformed by 8-week but not 24-week Cr(VI) exposure.