Apoptosis-inducing effect of epolactaene derivatives on BALL-1 cells

Epolactaene, a neuritogenic compound in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y, induces apoptosis in a human leukemia B-cell line, BALL-1. The apoptosis-inducing activities of 34 epolactaene derivatives, including those of the newly synthesized alpha-alkyl-alpha,beta-epoxy-gamma-lactam derivative and cyclopropane derivatives, were also tested. The structure-activity relationships of the epolactaene derivatives as an inducer of apoptosis are described. The alpha-acyl-alpha,beta-epoxy-gamma-lactam moiety as well as the hydrophobicity derived from the long alkyl side chain are both important for activity. Compound 1e displayed the strongest activity among all the synthesized compounds with an IC50 value of 0.70 microM.     

Syntheses and applications of fluorescent and biotinylated epolactaene derivatives: Epolactaene and its derivative induce disulfide formation

Epolactaene, isolated from cultured Penicillium sp. BM 1689-P mycelium, induces neurite outgrowth and arrests the cell cycle of the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, at the G1 phase. We have found that epolactaene and its derivatives induce apoptosis in the human leukemia B-cell line, BALL-1. In this study, we prepared fluorescent and biotinylated epolactaene derivatives. We characterized the cellular location and the identification of BALL-1 proteins that reacted with these compounds. The results obtained from the reaction of epolactaene or its derivative with N-acetylcysteine methyl ester indicate that these compounds induce the disulfide formation and the -position of the epoxylactam core is the reactive site.     

Epolactaene, a novel neuritogenic compound in human neuroblastoma cells, selectively inhibits the activities of mammalian DNA polymerases and human DNA topoisomerase II

We chemically synthesized epolactaene, a neuritogenic compound in human neuroblastoma cells, and investigated its biochemical action in vitro. Epolactaene and its derivatives selectively inhibited the activities of mammalian DNA polymerase alpha and beta and human DNA topoisomerase II, with IC(50) values of 25, 94, and 10 microM, respectively. By comparison with its structural derivatives, the long alkyl side chain in epolactaene seemed to have an important role in this inhibitory effect. The compound did not influence the activities of plant or prokaryotic DNA polymerases or of other DNA metabolic enzymes such as telomerase, RNA polymerase, and deoxyribonuclease I. Epolactaene did not intercalate into DNA. These results suggested that the neuritogenic compound epolactaene influences both DNA polymerases and topoisomerase II despite the dissimilarity in both structure and properties of these two enzymes and that inhibition of these enzymes could be related to the neuritogenic effect in human neuroblastoma cells. The relationship between the neuritogenic mechanism and cell cycle regulation by epolactaene was also discussed.     

Structure-activity relationships of epolactaene analogs as DNA polymerases inhibitors

Epolactaene, a neuritogenic compound in human neuroblastoma cells, showed inhibitory activities against DNA polymerases alpha and beta. The synthesis and inhibitory activities of epolactaene analogs are described. The alpha,beta-epoxy-gamma-lactam moiety in the core and the length of the side chain greatly influenced the activities. Compound 5 was the strongest inhibitor of DNA polymerase alpha and beta of all synthesized compounds with IC(50) values of 13 and 78 microM, respectively. N- and O-alkyl derivatives that had modified core moieties showed moderate inhibition.     

Structure-activity relationships of epolactaene derivatives: structural requirements for inhibition of Hsp60 chaperone activity

Epolactaene is a microbial metabolite isolated from the fungal strain Penicillium sp. It arrests the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase and induces the outgrowth of neurites in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. In this communication, we report the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of new epolactaene derivatives, including those lacking the epoxylactam moiety and having various side chains. These derivatives were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of human cancer cell lines. They were also analyzed for their ability to affect human heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60), which we have already identified as a protein that binds to epolactaene. We also identified the important structural framework of epolactaene/ETB (epolactaene tertiary butyl ester) for not only binding to Hsp60 but also inhibiting Hsp60 chaperone activity.     

Apoptosis induced by picolinic acid-related compounds in HL-60 cells.

We have found that niacin-related compounds, particularly picolinic acid, induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells. In this paper, we investigated whether various picolinic acid-related compounds had apoptosis-inducing activities or not. Particularly, fusaric acid, picolinaldehyde, nicotinaldehyde, 2-aminopyridine, and 3-aminopyridine also induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. These results suggest that pyridine substituted with various groups and the consequent change of resonance structure may have an important role in the induction of apoptosis.     

Dimerization of two novel apoptosis-inducing proteins and its function in regulating cell apoptosis

Apoptosis (or programmed cell death) was firstly described by Kerr[1] in 1972. Since bcl-2 cDNA was cloned by Cleary et al.[2] in 1986, many apoptosis-related genes have been found in human or mammalian cell lines. The bcl-2 family[35] containing 23 genes, the caspase family[68] bearing 14 members and the TNF family[9,10] are the most clearly elucidated ones. With the study of apoptosis going deeper, people have realized that cell apoptosis is impor-tant in development and homeostasis of mu…     

Coenzyme Q2 induced p53-dependent apoptosis

Coenzyme Q functions as an electron carrier and reversibly changes to either an oxidized (CoQ), intermediate (CoQ.-), or reduced (CoQH2) form within a biomembrane. The CoQH2 form also acts as an antioxidant and prevents cell death, and thus has been successfully used as a supplement. On the other hand, the value of the CoQ/CoQH2 ratio has been shown to increase in a number of diseases, presumably due to an anti-proliferative effect involving CoQ. In the present study, we examined the effect of CoQ and its isoprenoid side chain length variants on the growth of cells having different p53 statuses. Treatment with CoQs having shorter isoprenoid chains, especially CoQ2, induced apoptosis in p53-point mutated BALL-1 cells, whereas treatment with longer isoprenoid chains did not. However, CoQ2 did not induce apoptosis in either a p53 wild-type cell line or a p53 null mutant cell line. These results indicated that the induction of apoptosis by CoQ2 was dependent on p53 protein levels. Moreover, CoQ2 induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the phosphorylation of p53. An antioxidant, l-ascorbic acid, inhibited CoQ2-induced p53 phosphorylation and further apoptotic stimuli. Overall, these results suggested that short tail CoQ induces ROS generation and further p53-dependent apoptosis.     

Dimerization of two novel apoptosisinducing proteins and its function in regulating cell apoptosis

Asy (apoptosis/saibousi Yutsudo) is a novel apoptosis-inducing gene found in 1999 by Yutsudo group in Japan. In 2000, Qi Bing et al. cloned another novel gene, named hap (homologue of ASY protein), which encoded the ASY interact ing protein, from human lung cell line (WI-38) cDNA library by using yeast two-h ybrid system. It has been proved that ASY formed homodimer in yeast and human ce ll line, ASY and HAP formed heterodimer in yeast cells, and both induced cell ap optosis in human tumor cell lines Sao2 and CGL4. This paper showed that HAP coul d form homodimer in yeast cells by yeast two-hybrid system; HAP and ASY could pr oduce heterodimer in human cell line by cross-immunoprecipitation test; by using apoptosis-testing technologies such as AnnexinV, TUNEL, DNA ladder and Flow Cyt ometry, the cell apoptosis in human normal or tumor cell lines transfected with hap or asy individually or cotransfected by the both was qualified or quantified . It was firstly demonstrated that ASY or HAP induced cell apoptosis not only in human tumor cell lines, but also in human normal cell lines. Moreover, we prove d that the heterodimer between ASY and HAP decreased apoptosis-inducing activity from the homodimer of ASY or HAP. It revealed that by choosing to form heterodi mer or homodimer between ASY and / or HAP is an important mechanism of regulatin g apoptosis in human cell lines.     

Apoptosis-inducing activity of vitamin C and vitamin K.

Apoptosis-inducing activity of vitamins C and K and of their analogs are reviewed. Vitamin C shows both reducing and oxidizing activities, depending on the environment in which this vitamin is present. Higher concentrations of vitamin C induce apoptotic cell death in various tumor cell lines including oral squamous cell carcinoma and salivary gland tumor cell lines, possibly via its prooxidant action. The apoptosis-inducing activity of ascorbate is stimulated by Cu2+, lignin and ion chelator, and inhibited by catalase, Fe3+, Co2+ and saliva. On the other hand, at lower concentrations, ascorbic acid displays an antioxidant property, preventing the spontaneous and stress or antitumor agent-induced apoptosis. Sodium 5,6-benzylidene-L-ascorbate, intravenous administration of which induces degeneration of human inoperable tumors and rat hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo, induces apoptotic or non-apoptotic cell death, depending on the types of target cells. On the other hand, elevation of intracellular concentration of ascorbic acid by treatment with ascorbate 2-phosphate or dehydroascorbic acid makes the cells resistant to the oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Vitamin K2, which has a geranylgeranyl group as a side chain,and vitamin K3 induces apoptosis of various cultured cells including osteoclasts and osteoblasts, by elevating peroxide and superoxide radicals. Synergistic apoptosis-inducing actions have been found between vitamins C and K, and between these vitamins and antiproliferative agents. The possible therapeutic application of these vitamins is discussed.     

Transformation of thiols to disulfides by epolactaene and its derivatives

In this paper we report a disulfide formation of thiols induced by epolactaene and its derivatives. We previously reported the disulfide formation of N-acetylcysteine methyl ester by epolactaene in a 1:1 MeOH/0.5M NaHCO(3) aq solution. The present studies reveal that the disulfide formation proceeds under mild conditions such as in PBS at pH 7.3, suggesting that epolactaene may induce disulfide formation of cellular thiols. This compound induces the disulfide formation of several thiols in a 1:1 MeOH/0.5M NaHCO(3) aq solution at room temperature. Moreover, our results show that the acyl side-chain of epolactaene greatly influences the products of the reaction. We analyzed the reaction mechanism by using thiolysis products of epolactaene derivatives and propose a new reaction mechanism.     

Potent anticancer activities of novel aminophenol analogues against various cancer cell lines

Novel aminophenol analogues were synthesized based on the structure of fenretinide (N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide, 5), which is a potent anticancer agent. Our findings showed that the anticancer activities of 5 were due to the side chain attached to the aminophenol moiety. A p-octylaminophenol (p-OAP) provided the most potent anticancer activity among p-alkylaminophenols examined. In this study, we investigated anticancer activities against various cancer cell lines by the new aminophenols, p-dodecylaminophenol (1), p-decylaminophenol (2), N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)dodecananamide (3), and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)decananamide (4), which exhibits a side chain as long as 5. Cell growth of breast cancer (MCF-7, MCF-7/Adr(R)), prostate cancer (DU-145), and leukemia (HL60) cells was suppressed by 1 and 2 in a fashion dependent on the length of the alkyl chain attached to the aminophenol. In contrast, 3 and 4 were extremely weak. Compound 5 was less potent than 1. Cell growth of liver cancer (HepG2) was not markedly affected by these compounds. In addition, apoptosis of HL60 cells was induced by 1 and 2 in a chain length-dependent manner, but not by 3 and 4. Incorporation of compounds into HL60 cells was in the order 1>2=3>4. These results indicated that anticancer activities for 1 and 2 are correlated with their incorporation into cancer cells and their capability to induce apoptosis, but not for 3 and 4. Compound 1, a potent anticancer agent with potency strikingly greater than 5, may potentially be useful in clinic.     

Pyrazolidine derivatives: a comparative study of their effects on platelet aggregation.

Quantitative studies were carried out of the in vitro and ex vivo effects of phenylbutazone and 3-oxoalkyl substituted diphenyldioxopyrazolidines (kebuzone, tribuzone, benzopyrazone) on platelet aggregation. The specified pyrazolidine derivatives exhibited in vitro inhibitory effects on secondary platelet aggregation (induced by adrenaline and collagen), commensurable with the effects of sulfinpyrazone. The ex vivo efficacy was markedly influenced by the height of the drug level in blood and by differences in the elimination kinetics of the pyrazolidine derivatives in human organism. Inhibitory activities against primary aggregation (induced by ADP and thrombin) were found in vitro mainly in the phenyloxoalkyl derivative of diphenyldioxopyrazolidine (benzopyrazone) and its analogues. By substitution on the phenyl attached to its alkyl side chain (for example, by a halogen in the meta position), compounds were obtained which also possessed higher activities inhibiting secondary platelet aggregation.     

A fluorescence-based rapid screening assay for cytotoxic compounds

A simple fluorescence-based assay was developed for the rapid screening of potential cytotoxic compounds generated by combinatorial chemistry. The assay is based on detection of nuclear green fluorescent protein (GFP) staining of a human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) carrying an integrated histone H2B-GFP fusion gene. Addition of a cytotoxic compound to the HeLa-GFP cells results in the eventual degradation of DNA and loss of the GFP nuclear fluorescence. Using this assay, we screened 11 distinct quinone derivatives and found that several of these compounds were cytotoxic. These compounds are structurally related to plumbagin an apoptosis-inducing naphthoquinone isolated from Black Walnut. In order to determine the mechanism by which cell death was induced, we performed additional experiments with the most cytotoxic quinones. These compounds were found to induce morphological changes (blebbing and nuclear condensation) consistent with induction of apoptosis. Additional tests revealed that the cytotoxic compounds induce both necrotic and apoptotic modes of death.     

Thyrsiferyl 23-acetate and its derivatives induce apoptosis in various T- and B-leukemia cells

Thyrsiferyl 23-acetate (TF-23A), a cytotoxic compound from marine red alga, induced a rapid cell death in various leukemic T- and B-cell lines. During incubation of Jurkat cells with TF-23A, condensation and fragmentation of nuclei occurred and clusters composed of uneven small cellular particles were formed. Concentration- and time-dependent DNA fragmentation was also induced by the incubation of the cells with TF-23A. These results demonstrate that the TF-23A-induced cell death follows a typical apoptotic process. The TF-23A-induced apoptosis was prevented by fetal calf serum and insulin, but not by EGF or PDGF. TF-23A and its several analogous compounds showed apoptosis-inducing activity. However, only TF-23A out of these compounds showed an inhibitory activity for protein phosphatase 2A, PP2A. These results strongly suggest that a structure of TF-23A involved in induction of apoptosis is different from that involved in the PP2A inhibition.     

Influence of expressed TRAIL on biophysical properties of the human leukemic cell line Jurkat

The cDNA fragment of human TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand) was cloned into RevTet-On, a Tetregulated and high-level gene expression system. The gene expression system was constructed in a human leukemic cell line: Jurkat. By using RevTet-On TRAIL gene expression system in Jurkat as a cell model, we studied the influence of TRAIL gene on the changes of cellular apoptosis before and after the TRAIL gene expression, which was induced by adding tetracycline derivative doxycycline (Dox). The results indicated that the cellular apoptosis ratio was largely dependent on the TRAIL gene expression level. Moreover, it was found that the apoptosis-inducing TRAIL could cause significant changes in the biophysical properties of Jurkat cells. The cell surface charge density decreased, the membrane fluidity declined, the elastic coefficients K1 increased, and the proportion of α-helix in membrane protein secondary structure decreased. Thus, the apoptosis-inducing TRAIL gene caused significant changes on the biomechanic properties of Jurkat cells.     

Mechanism of apoptosis induced by a newly synthesized derivative of macrosphelides with a thiazole side chain

The apoptosis-inducing ability of hybrid compounds composed of macrosphelide and thiazole-containing side chain of epothilones was investigated. Among the tested series of hybrid compounds the one containing thiazole side chain at C15 (MSt-2) showed the maximum potency to induce apoptosis, while another containing thiazole side chain at C3 (MSt-6) was less potent. MSt-2 was found to induce apoptosis in human lymphoma (U937) cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner as confirmed by DNA fragmentation analysis. MSt-2 treated cells showed rapid reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation. Furthermore, significant activation of extrinsic pathway as evident by Fas expression and caspase-8 activation was also observed. MSt-2-mediated decreased expression of Bid is an important event for cross talk between intrinsic and extrinsic signaling. N-acetyl-l-cysteine pre-treatment rescued cells from MSt-2-induced ROS formation, mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ_m) loss, Fas expression, caspase-8 and -3 activation and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, antioxidant enzymes catalase and/or superoxide dismutase conjugated with polyethylene glycol also inhibit MSt-2-induced ROS formation, apoptosis and Δψ_m loss suggesting thereby pro-oxidant effects of MSt-2. Furthermore, JNK and pan-caspase inhibitors also protect cells from MSt-2-induced apoptosis. In addition to this, MSt-2 was found to be more potent in human colon carcinoma (HCT116) and human gastric cancer (AGS) cells while it has no effect on human normal dermal fibroblast. The important structure-activity relationship observed in the current study which makes MSt-2 more potent than MSt-6 is the position of thiazole side chain and stereochemistry of position 3 in chemical structure. In short the results of our study demonstrate that MSt-2-induced rapid ROS generation and mitochondrial dysfunction in cells trigger events responsible for mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway.     

Epigenetic profiling of the antitumor natural product psammaplin A and its analogues

A collection of analogues of the dimeric natural product psammaplin A that differ in the substitution on the (halo)tyrosine aryl ring, the oxime and the diamine connection has been synthesized. The effects on cell cycle, induction of differentiation and apoptosis of the natural-product inspired series were measured on the human leukaemia U937 cell line. Epigenetic profiling included induction of p21(WAF1), effects on global H3 histone and tubulin acetylation levels as well as in vitro enzymatic assays using HDAC1, DNMT1, DNMT3A, SIRT1 and a peptide domain with p300/CBP HAT activity. Whereas the derivatives of psammaplin A with modifications in the length of the connecting chain, the oxime bond and the disulfide unit showed lower potency, the analogues with changes on the bromotyrosine ring exhibited activities comparable to those of the parent compound in the inhibition of HDAC1 and in the induction of apoptosis. The lack of HDAC1 activity of analogues modified on the disulfide bond suggests that its cleavage must occur in cells to produce the monomeric Zn(2+)-chelating thiol. This assumption is consistent with the molecular modelling of the complex of psammaplin A thiol with h-HDAC8. Only a weak inhibition of DNMT1, DNMT3A and residual activities with SIRT1 and a p300/CBP HAT peptide were measured for these compounds.     

SAR studies of epoxycurcuphenol derivatives on leukemia CT-CD4 cells

Bioactive natural products are a potential source of new pharmaceuticals since they offer new modes of action and more specific activities. The use of derivatization also enables the optimal structure for their biological activity to be determined. In this study several epoxycurcuphenol derivatives were synthesized. The substitution pattern on the aromatic and oxirane rings was varied along with that at the benzylic position and the length of the side chain was altered. These changes were made in order to gain a deeper understanding of the structural requirements for activity. The biological activities of these compounds were evaluated on the human leukemia cell line Jurkat using an antiproliferative assay. The activity results and structural requirements are discussed.