Accumulating evidence indicates that a hypomagnetic field (HMF, <5 μT) has a significant impact on various organ systems in animals. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these biological effects remain unclear. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian responses to a HMF is crucial for addressing health and safety concerns associated with HMF exposure. In this study, we investigated the changes in intracellular protein phosphorylation under HMF conditions and validated the functional mechanisms by which HMF-induced protein phosphorylation affects cell behavior. We found that U2OS cells can rapidly sense changes in magnetic fields, leading to alterations in protein phosphorylation levels within the cell. The quantitative phosphoproteomics results revealed that the exposure of U2OS cells to the HMF environment for 0.5 h and 3 days resulted in the alteration of 1101 and 1543 phosphosites, respectively. Notably, HMF exposure enhanced the phosphorylation of β-Catenin at Ser552, and this increased phosphorylation-promoted U2OS proliferation and migration. Furthermore, quantitative proteomics showed that exposure to a HMF for 3 days upregulated the expression of LOX and FN1, while the knockdown of LOX or FN1 suppressed the proliferation and migration of the U2OS cells. These results suggest that a HMF enhances U2OS cell proliferation and migration by promoting β-Catenin phosphorylation and upregulating FN1 and LOX expression.
Gao et al. (Sun,) studied this question.