Toxicoproteomic analysis of human lung epithelial cells exposed to steel industry ambient particulate matter (PM) reveals possible mechanism of PM related carcinogenesis.

Toxicoproteomic analysis of steel industry ambient particulate matter (PM) that contain high concentrations of PAHs and metals was done by treating human lung cancer cell-line, A549 and the cell lysates were analysed using quantitative label-free nano LC-MS/MS. A total of 18,562 peptides representing 1576 proteins were identified and quantified, with 196 proteins had significantly altered expression in the treated cells. Enrichment analyses revealed that proteins associated to redox homeostsis, metabolism, and cellular energy generation were inhibited while, proteins related to DNA damage and repair and other stresses were over expressed. Altered activities of several tumor associated proteins were observed. Protein-protein interaction network and biological pathway analysis of these differentially expressed proteins were carried out to obtain a systems level view of proteome changes. Together it could be inferred that PM exposure induced oxidative stress which could have lead into DNA damage and tumor related changes. However, lowering of cellular metabolism, and energy production could reduce its ability to overcome these stress. This kind of disequilibrium between the DNA damage and ability of the cells to repair the DNA damage may lead into genomic instability that is capable of acting as the driving force during PM induced carcinogenesis.