A peptide derived from phage display library exhibits anti-tumor activity by targeting GRP78 in gastric cancer multidrug resistance cells

• Biomarkers for GC MDR were studied using Phage display and proteomic approaches.
• A specific peptide GMBP1 associated with cellular activities of MDR was identified.
• The co-IP/MS/MS identified that GRP78 was the receptor of GMBP1.
• GMBP1 could re-sensitize GC MDR cells to a variety of chemotherapeutic agents.
• Further studies can allow the potential use of GMBP1 for the reversal of GC MDR.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) remains a significant challenge to the clinical treatment of gastric cancer (GC). In the present study, using a phage display approach combined with MTT assays, we screened a specific peptide GMBP1 (Gastric cancer MDR cell-specific binding peptide), ETAPLSTMLSPY, which could bind to the surface of GC MDR cells specifically and reverse their MDR phenotypes. Immunocytochemical staining showed that the potential receptor of GMBP1 was located at the membrane and cytoplasm of MDR cells. In vitro and in vivo drug sensitivity assays, FACS analysis and Western blotting confirmed that GMBP1 was able to re-sensitize MDR cells to chemical drugs. Western blotting and proteomic approaches were used to screen the receptor of GMBP1, and GRP78, a MDR-related protein, was identified as a receptor of GMBP1. This result was further supported by immunofluoresence microscopy and Western blot. Additionally, Western blotting demonstrated that pre-incubation of GMBP1 in MDR cells greatly diminished MDR1, Bcl-2 and GRP78 expression but increased the expression of Bax, whereas downregulation of GRP78, function as a receptor and directly target for GMBP1, only inhibited MDR1 expression. Our findings suggest that GMBP1 could re-sensitize GC MDR cells to a variety of chemotherapeutic agents and this role might be mediated partly through down-regulating GRP78 expression and then inhibiting MDR1 expression. These findings indicate that peptide GMBP1 likely recognizes a novel GRP78 receptor and mediates cellular activities associated with the MDR phenotype, which provides new insight into research on the management of MDR in gastric cancer cells.