Etoposide-induced DNA damage in human tumor cells: requirement for cellular activating factors

Previous studies with the multidrug-resistant human HL60 cell line have shown a 3–4-fold decrease in VP-16 accumulation compared to the sensitive cell line, while the degree of resistance to VP-16 was 300-fold, indicating that other mechanisms of resistance are also operative. Since VP-16 has been shown to interfere with topoisomerase II activity, we have evaluated VP-16-dependent DNA strand break formation in the drug-sensitive and -resistant HL60 cells. Studies reported here show that the drug-resistant HL60 cells are extremely resistant to VP-16-dependent DNA cleavage compared to the sensitive cells. This decrease in DNA cleavage in the of VP-16 was, in part, related to a 2–3-fold decrease in both the amount and activity of topisomerase II in the resistant cell line compared to the sensitive cells. Nuclei from the resistant cell line were markedly more resistant to VP-16-dependent DNA cleavage than the WT cell nuclei. Interestingly, WT nuclei were found to be relatively more resistant to VP-16-induced DNA cleavage than the intact WT cells. Addition of WT cytosolic proteins to WT nuclei, however, significantly stimulated VP-16-dependent DNA cleavage and slightly increased DNA cleavage in resistant cell nuclei. In contrast, cytosolic proteins from the resistant cells had no effect on DNA cleavage in nuclei isolated from either cell line. These observations indicate that a decrease in the amount and activity of topoisomerase II in resistant HL60 cells translates into a decrease in VP-16-dependent DNA breakage and contributes to the resistance to VP-16. Furthermore, the cytosolic fraction from WT cells contains some factor, not present in the resistant cells, which is necessary for the maximal drug-induced DNA cleavage.     

Characterization of an unusual mutant of human melanoma cells resistant to anticancer drugs that inhibit topoisomerase II

The topoisomerase II inhibitor, VP-16 (etoposide), is an important component in many chemotherapeutic regimens. To cahracterize resistance to this drug, the human melanoma cell line, FEM-X, was selected in multiple steps with VP-16. To prevent the development of typical multidrug resistance, an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein, the tiapamil analog, RO-11–2933, was added to the selections. The resultant clone FVP3 is 56-fold resistant to VP-16 and cross-resistant to doxorubicin (Adriamycin) (9-fold) and VM-26 (27-fold). These cells are also two- to fourfold resistant to m-AMSA, daunorubicin, and mitoxantrone. FVP3 is not resistant to the P-glycoprotein substrate vinblastine, does not express the MDR1 gene at detectable levels, and does not show reduced ³H-VP-16 accumulation. Unlike other cell lines that exhibit resistance to inhibitors of topoisomerase II, FVP3 has the same level of topoisomerase II expression and activity as FEM-X. Using live cells treated with VP-16, band depeletion assays and KCI/SDS precipitation assays show that topoisomerase II from FVP3 is much less susceptible to drug-induced cleavable complex formation than is that from FEM-X. This difference in sensitivity to VP-16 is also detected using lysates from disrupted cells, but not with isolated nuclei devoid of cytoplasmic and membrane components. In addijtion, the topoisomerase li present in nuclear edtracts from FVP3 is not resistant to the effects of VP-16 as measured by: (1)inhibition of strand passing activity during decatenation of kinetoplast DNA, (2) drug-induced linearization of plasmid DNA, and (3) immunodepletion by VP-16. These results suggest that some component of the cytoplasm or cellular membranes, or a factor depleted from nuclei during their isolation, is responsible for the resistance to VP-16 in FVP3. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effects of wild-type p53 expression on the quantity and activity of topoisomerase IIalpha and beta in various human cancer cell lines.

The p53 null HL-60 cell line was transfected with plasmids coding for either the wild-type p53 or mutant p53 gene. The stable expression of wild-type p53 resulted in a significant increase in sensitivity to the topoisomerase II poisons etoposide and doxorubicin, but not to the topoisomerase II inhibitors razoxane and ADR-529. HL-60 cells expressing wild-type p53 demonstrated 8- to 10-fold more VP-16 induced DNA breaks by the alkaline elution assay. The effect of inducible expression of wild-type p53 was also studied in the p53 null erythroblastoid cell line K562 and in the human squamous carcinoma cell line SqCC. The inducible expression of wild-type p53 in the K562 cell line resulted in a 3-fold increase in sensitivity to VP-16. The quantity of topoisomerase IIalpha was not altered by the transfection as determined by immunoblotting, while the amount of the beta isoform was increased 2.5-fold in HL-60 cells. The topo II catalytic activity present in nuclear extracts was measured as the decatenation of kinetoplast DNA, and found to be unaltered by p53 expression. Immunostaining for topoisomerase IIalpha was substantially diminished in both stable and inducible wild-type p53 expressing cells when three different antibodies were used (two polyclonal and one monoclonal). However, the addition of VP-16 resulted in a rapid appearance of nuclear fluorescence for topoisomerase IIalpha. No changes in topoisomerase IIbeta immunostaining were observed. These results suggest that an epitope for topoisomerase IIalpha is concealed in cells expressing wild-type p53 and that a complex between topoisomerase IIalpha and p53 may be disrupted by the addition of antitumor drugs.     

Characterization of an amsacrine-resistant line of human leukemia cells. Evidence for a drug-resistant form of topoisomerase II

HL-60/AMSA is a human leukemia cell line that is 100 times more resistant to the cytotoxic actions of the antineoplastic, topoisomerase II-reactive DNA intercalating acridine derivative amsacrine (m-AMSA) than is its parent HL-60 line. HL-60/AMSA cells are minimally resistant to etoposide, a topoisomerase II-reactive drug that does not intercalate. Previously we showed that HL-60 topoisomerase II activity in cells, nuclei, or nuclear extracts was sensitive to m-AMSA and etoposide, while HL-60/AMSA topoisomerase II was resistant to m-AMSA but sensitive to etoposide. Now we show that purified topoisomerase II from the two cell lines exhibits the same drug sensitivity or resistance as that in the nuclear extracts although the magnitude of the m-AMSA resistance of HL-60/AMSA topoisomerase II in vitro is not as great as the resistance of the intact HL-60/AMSA cells. In addition HL-60/AMSA cells are cross-resistant to topoisomerase II-reactive intercalators from the anthracycline and ellipticine families and the pattern of sensitivity or resistance to the cytotoxic actions of the various topoisomerase II-reactive drugs is paralleled by topoisomerase II-reactive drug-induced DNA cleavage and protein cross-link production in cells and the production of drug-induced, topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage and protein cross-linking in isolated biochemical systems. In addition to its lowered sensitivity to intercalators, HL-60/AMSA differed from HL-60 in 1) the susceptibility of its topoisomerase II to stimulation of DNA topoisomerase II complex formation by ATP, 2) the catalytic activity of its topoisomerase II in an ionic environment chosen to reproduce the environment found within the living cell, and 3) the observed restriction enzyme pattern on a Southern blot probed with a cDNA for human topoisomerase II. These data indicate that an m-AMSA-resistant form of topoisomerase II contributes to the resistance of HL-60/AMSA to m-AMSA and to other topoisomerase II-reactive DNA intercalating agents. The drug resistance is associated with additional biochemical and molecular alterations that may be important determinants of cellular sensitivity or resistance to topoisomerase II-reactive drugs.     

Purification and characterization of an altered topoisomerase II from a drug-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line

The cytotoxicity and DNA damage induced by the epipodophyllotoxins and several intercalating agents appear to be mediated by DNA topoisomerase II. We have purified topoisomerase II to homogeneity both from an epipodophyllotoxin-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line, VpmR-5, and from the wild-type parental cell line. Immunoblots demonstrate similar topoisomerase II content in these two cell lines. The purified enzymes are dissimilar in that DNA cleavage by VpmR-5 topoisomerase II is not stimulated by VP-16 or m-AMSA. Furthermore, the VpmR-5 enzyme is unstable at 37 degrees C. Thus, the drug resistance of VpmR-5 cells appears to result from the presence of an altered topoisomerase II in these cells. Purified topoisomerase II from VPMR-5 and wild-type cells has the same monomeric molecular mass as well as equivalent catalytic activity with respect to decatenation of kinetoplast DNA. Etoposide (VP-16) inhibits the activity of both enzymes. Noncovalent DNA-enzyme complex formation, assayed by nitrocellulose filter binding, is also similar, as is protection from salt dissociation of this complex by ATP and VP-16. The data suggest a model in which the drug-resistant cell line, VpmR-5, has religation activity which is less affected by drug than that of the wild-type cells. Drug effect on DNA religation and catalytic activity are dissociated mechanistically. In addition, under certain circumstances, the "cleavable complex" observed following denaturation of a drug-stabilized DNA-enzyme complex may not adequately reflect the nature of the antecedent lesion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Mitoxantrone resistance in HL-60 leukemia cells: reduced nuclear topoisomerase II catalytic activity and drug-induced DNA cleavage in association with reduced expression of the topoisomerase II beta isoform.

Mitoxantrone-resistant variants of the human HL-60 leukemia cell line are cross-resistant to several natural product and synthetic antineoplastic agents. The resistant cells (HL-60/MX2) retain sensitivity to the Vinca alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine, drugs that are typically associated with the classical multidrug resistance phenotype. Mitoxantrone accumulation and retention are equivalent in the sensitive and resistant cell types, suggesting that mitoxantrone resistance in HL-60/MX2 cells might be associated with an alteration in the type II DNA topoisomerases. We discovered that topoisomerase II catalytic activity in 1.0 M NaCl nuclear extracts from the HL-60/MX2 variant, as measured by the decatenation of Crithidia fasciculata kinetoplast DNA, was reduced 4- to 5-fold compared to that in the parental HL-60 cells. Total cellular topoisomerase II activity in HL-60/MX2 cells was only 50% lower than that in HL-60 cells, however, because the "cytosolic fraction" of the HL-60/MX2 nuclear preparation contained high levels of decatenating activity. Antisera to calf thymus topoisomerase II defined a distinctive immunoreactive pattern of topoisomerase II proteins in crude nuclear extracts from the HL-60/MX2 cells. Both alpha (170 kDa) and beta (180 kDa) forms of topoisomerase II were detected in the HL-60 cell extracts, but only the alpha form was detected in extracts from HL-60/MX2 cells. This finding was associated with the appearance of a new 160-kDa immunoreactive species in nuclear extracts from HL-60/MX2 but not HL-60 cells. Studies were designed to minimize the proteolytic degradation of the topoisomerase II enzymes by extraction of whole cells with hot SDS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cross-resistance of an amsacrine-resistant human leukemia line to topoisomerase II reactive DNA intercalating agents. Evidence for two topoisomerase II directed drug actions.

HL-60/AMSA is a human leukemia cell line that is 50-100-fold more resistant than its drug-sensitive HL-60 parent line to the cytotoxic actions of the DNA intercalator amsacrine (m-AMSA). HL-60/AMSA topoisomerase II is also resistant to the inhibitory actions of m-AMSA. HL-60/AMSA cells and topoisomerase II are cross-resistant to anthracycline and ellipticine intercalators but relatively sensitive to the nonintercalating topoisomerase II reactive epipodophyllotoxin etoposide. We now demonstrate that HL-60/AMSA and its topoisomerase II are cross-resistant to the DNA intercalators mitoxantrone and amonafide, thus strongly indicating that HL-60/AMSA and its topoisomerase II are resistant to topoisomerase II reactive intercalators but not to nonintercalators. At high concentrations, mitoxantrone and amonafide were also found to inhibit their own, m-AMSA's, and etoposide's abilities to stabilize topoisomerase II-DNA complexes. This appears to be due to the ability of these concentrations of mitoxantrone and amonafide to inhibit topoisomerase II mediated DNA strand passage at a point in the topoisomerization cycle prior to the acquisition of the enzyme-DNA configuration that yields DNA cleavage and topoisomerase II-DNA cross-links. In addition, amonafide can inhibit the cytotoxic actions of m-AMSA and etoposide. Taken together, these results suggest that the cytotoxicity of m-AMSA and etoposide is initiated primarily by the stabilization of the topoisomerase II-DNA complex. Other topoisomerase II reactive drugs may inhibit the enzyme at other steps in the topoisomerization cycle, particularly at elevated concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Pivotal role of a DEVD-sensitive step in etoposide-induced and Fas-mediated apoptotic pathways.

We investigated the role of proteases in the pathway that leads from specific DNA damage induced by etoposide (VP-16), a topoisomerase II inhibitor, to apoptotic DNA fragmentation in the U937 human leukemic cell line. In a reconstituted cell-free system, Triton-soluble extracts from VP-16-treated cells induced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in nuclei from untreated cells. This effect was inhibited by the tetrapeptide Ac-DEVD-CHO, a competitive inhibitor of the interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE)-related protease CPP32, but was not influenced by Ac-YVAD-CHO and Ac-YVAD-CMK, two specific inhibitors of ICE. The three tetrapeptides inhibited Fas-mediated apoptotic DNA fragmentation in the cell-free system. Internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, triggered by either VP-16 or an anti-Fas antibody, was associated with proteolytic cleavage of the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP), a decrease in the level of 32 kDa CPP32 proenzyme and the appearance of the CPP32 p17 active subunit. Conversely, the expression of Ich-1L, another ICE-like protease, remained stable in apoptotic U937 cells. Several cysteine and serine protease inhibitors prevented apoptotic DNA fragmentation by acting either upstream or downstream of the DEVD-sensitive protease(s) activation and PARP cleavage. We conclude that a DEVD-sensitive step, which could involve CPP32, plays a central role in the proteolytic pathway that mediates apoptotic DNA fragmentation in VP-16-treated leukemic cells at the crossing with Fas-mediated pathway.     

Characterization of VP-16-induced DNA damage in isolated nuclei from L1210 cells

Based on the observation that VP-16-induced DNA damage can be demonstrated in isolated nuclei but not in purified DNA, and that this effect is temperature-dependent, it is postulated that the mechanism of action of VP-16 involves an essential intranuclear event, perhaps enzyme-mediated, which is a prerequisite for the cleavage of DNA. Using alkaline elution to assay single-strand breaks in isolated L1210 nuclei, we have further characterized conditions influencing this putative intranuclear reaction. We have found drug activity to be dependent on magnesium and pH and to be stimulated by low concentrations of ATP (0.05–1 mM), an effect which was not observed with a nonhydrolyzable analog of ATP. Heat-labile activity in a nuclear non-histone protein extract was critical to VP-16-mediated DNA damage. This new evidence lends further credence to the hypothesis that activity of an intranuclear enzyme, possessing characteristics consistent with a type II DNA topoisomerase, is a prerequisite for the cleavage of DNA by VP-16.     

Hypersensitivity of lymphoblastoid lines derived from ataxia telangiectasia patients to the induction of chromosomal aberrations by etoposide (VP-16)

Mammalian DNA topoisomerase II represents the cellular target of many antitumor drugs, such as epipodophyllotoxin VP-16 (etoposide). The mechanism by which VP-16 exerts its cytotoxic and antineoplastic actions has not yet been firmly established, although the unique correlation between sensitivity to ionizing radiation and to topoisomerase II inhibitors suggest the involvement of DNA double-strand breaks. In the present study we analyzed the chromosomal sensitivity of lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from ataxia telangiectasia (AT) patients to low concentrations of the drug. Our results indicate that AT derived cells are hypersensitive to the clastogenic activity of VP-16 either when the drug is present for the whole duration of the cell cycle or specifically in the G2 phase, confirming that the induction of DNA double strand breaks, to which AT cells seem typically sensitive, could have an important role in the biological activity of VP-16.     

The production of topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage in human leukemia cells predicts their susceptibility to 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA)

Protein-associated DNA cleavage is produced in mammalian cells treated with active antileukemic DNA intercalating agents such as 4'(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA). We have examined the ability of m-AMSA to produce DNA cleavage in 3 human myeloid leukemic cell lines with different sensitivities to the cytotoxic actions of m-AMSA to see if the magnitude of DNA cleavage correlated with the degree of m-AMSA sensitivity. DNA alkaline elution was used to quantify DNA cleavage. The amount of m-AMSA-induced DNA cleavage in the two lines sensitive to m-AMSA was 1-2 orders of magnitude greater than that in an m-AMSA-resistant leukemic line. The m-AMSA resistant line had been developed by prolonged exposure of one of the sensitive lines to m-AMSA. This finding was not secondary to a decreased uptake of m-AMSA in the resistant cell line. m-AMSA treatment of the nuclei isolated from the three lines produced DNA cleavage frequencies comparable to the cleavage frequencies produced by m-AMSA treatment of the whole cells from which the nuclei were isolated. The DNA cleaving ability stimulated by m-AMSA is thought to be mediated by drug-induced effects on topoisomerase II, a nuclear enzyme that mediates alterations in DNA conformation. Alterations in the manner in which this enzyme interacts with antineoplastic agents may explain the emergence of resistant cells following initially successful chemotherapy.     

Altered catalytic activity of and DNA cleavage by DNA topoisomerase II from human leukemic cells selected for resistance to VM-26

The simultaneous development of resistance to the cytotoxic effects of several classes of natural product anticancer drugs, after exposure to only one of these agents, is referred to as multiple drug resistance (MDR). At least two distinct mechanisms for MDR have been postulated: that associated with P-glycoprotein and that thought to be due to an alteration in DNA topoisomerase II activity (at-MDR). We describe studies with two sublines of human leukemic CCRF-CEM cells approximately 50-fold resistant (CEM/VM-1) and approximately 140-fold resistant (CEM/VM-1-5) to VM-26, a drug known to interfere with DNA topoisomerase II activity. Each of these lines is cross-resistant to other drugs known to affect topoisomerase II but not cross-resistant to vinblastine, an inhibitor of mitotic spindle formation. We found little difference in the amount of immunoreactive DNA topoisomerase II in 1.0 M NaCl nuclear extracts of the two resistant and parental cell lines. However, topoisomerase II in nuclear extracts of the resistant sublines is altered in both catalytic activity (unknotting) of and DNA cleavage by this enzyme. Also, the rate at which catenation occurs is 20-30-fold slower with the CEM/VM-1-5 preparations. The effect of VM-26 on both strand passing and DNA cleavage is inversely related to the degree of primary resistance of each cell line. Our data support the hypothesis that at-MDR is due to an alteration in topoisomerase II or in a factor modulating its activity.     

Detection of apoptosis induced by topoisomerase inhibitors and serum deprivation in syrian hamster embryo cells

The sensitivity of normal diploid Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells to apoptosis was tested after treatment with the topoisomerase inhibitors camptothecin and etoposide and after serum withdrawal. Programmed cell death (PCD) was identified through morphological, biochemical, and molecular changes and compared with that of HL60 cell line. The results showed that topoisomerase inhibitors, which were shown to be potent PCD inducers in the HL60 cell line, induced a weaker apoptotic response in SHE cells than after growth factor deprivation. In addition, serum-free medium, which rapidly induced apoptosis in SHE cells, did not affect the HL60 cell line. In both cell types, PCD was expressed by condensed chromatin, fragmented nuclei, and DNA laddering on electrophoretic gels, an indisputable sign of apoptosis. In apoptotic HL60 cells, the cleavage of 113-kDa poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) resulted in the so-called apoptotic 89-kDa fragment and was associated with increased caspase-3 activity. In apoptotic SHE cells, PARP degraded early but the degradation profile was not characterized by the appearance of an 89-kDa fragment. Moreover, no activation of caspase-3 was noted. ZnCl(2), which is known to prevent protease activity responsible for apoptosis features, inhibited PARP cleavage and nuclear modifications induced by apoptotic stimuli in both cell types, but with a higher sensitivity in SHE cells. Apoptosis induced by serum deprivation was linked with c-myc negative regulation in SHE cells, but not with p53 protein accumulation, while topoisomerase inhibitors led to p53 stabilization without any change in c-myc expression. Serum-free medium and topoisomerase inhibitors did not modify c-myc expression in the HL60 cell line. The overall results demonstrated that apoptosis, which is a carefully regulated process of cell death, may proceed through mechanisms varying according to cell type or apoptosis inducer. In addition, markers which are generally considered hallmarks of apoptosis may fail to appear in some cell types.     

DNA Fragmentation Induced by Protease Activation in p53-Null Human Leukemia HL60 Cells Undergoing Apoptosis Following Treatment with the Topoisomerase I Inhibitor Camptothecin: Cell-Free System Studies

We studied the role of proteases in apoptosis using a cell-free system prepared from a human leukemia cell line. HL60 cells are p53 null and extremely sensitive to a variety of apoptotic stimuli including DNA damage induced by the topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin. We measured DNA fragmentation induced in isolated nuclei by cytosolic extracts using a filter elution assay. Cytosol from camptothecin-treated HL60 cells induced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in nuclei from untreated cells. This fragmentation was suppressed by serine protease inhibitors. Serine proteases (trypsin, endoproteinase Glu-C, chymotrypsin A, and proteinase K) and papain by themselves induced DNA fragmentation in naive nuclei. This effect was enhanced in the presence of cytosol from untreated cells. Cysteine protease inhibitors (E-64, leupeptin, Ac-YVAD-CHO [ICE inhibitor]) did not affect camptothecin-induced DNA fragmentation. The apopain/Yama inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, and the proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, were also inactive both in the cell-free system and in whole cells. Interleukin-1β converting enzyme (ICE) or human immunodeficiency virus protease failed to induce DNA fragmentation in naive nuclei. Together, these results suggest that DNA damage activates serine protease(s) which in turn activate(s) nuclear endonuclease(s) during apoptosis in HL60 cells.     

Induction of mammalian DNA topoisomerase I and II mediated DNA cleavage by saintopin, a new antitumor agent from fungus.

Saintopin is an antitumor antibiotic recently discovered in mechanistically oriented screening using purified calf thymus DNA topoisomerases. Saintopin induced topoisomerase I mediated DNA cleavage comparable to that of camptothecin, and topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage equipotent to those of 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA) or 4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin 9-(4,6-O-ethylidene-beta-D-glucopyranoside) (VP-16). Treatment of a reaction mixture containing saintopin and topoisomerase I or II with either elevated temperature (65 degrees C) or higher salt concentration (0.5 M NaCl) resulted in a substantial reduction in DNA cleavage, suggesting that the topoisomerase I and II mediated DNA cleavage induced by saintopin is through the mechanism of stabilizing the reversible enzyme-DNA "cleavable complex". Consistent with the cleavable complex formation with both topoisomerases, saintopin inhibited catalytic activities of both topoisomerase I and topoisomerase II. The DNA cleavage intensity pattern induced by saintopin with topoisomerase I was different from that by camptothecin. A difference in cleavage pattern was also detected between saintopin and m-AMSA or VP-16 in topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage. DNA unwinding assay using T4 DNA ligase showed that saintopin is a weak DNA intercalator like m-AMSA. Thus, saintopin represents a new class of antitumor agent that can induce both mammalian DNA topoisomerase I and mammalian DNA topisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage.     

T98G glioma cells have nicks in DNA in quiescent phase

Human glioblastoma-derived cell line, T98G, is arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle when serum is deprived. Using this cell line, we investigated the relation between the cell cycle and DNA single-stranded breaks, "nicks," by an in situ nick-translation method. When T98G cells were cultured without serum for 60 h, many small cells with condensed chromatin and scanty cytoplasm appeared. These small cells that were immunohistochemically considered to be in the G0 or early G1 phase had many nicks in DNA. When serum was added, these small cells with nicks disappeared within 1 to 4 h. VP-16, a DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor, delayed the disappearance of these small cells with nicks. This indicated that the action of DNA topoisomerase II on the chromatin is required to repair nicks in T98G glioma cells and to promote the progression from the quiescent to the proliferating phase.     

Decreased nuclear matrix DNA topoisomerase II in human leukemia cells resistant to VM-26 and m-AMSA

CEM leukemia cells selected for resistance to VM-26 (CEM/VM-1) are cross-resistant to various other DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors but not to Vinca alkaloids. Since DNA topoisomerase II is a major protein of the nuclear matrix, we asked if alterations in nuclear matrix topoisomerase II might be important in this form of multidrug resistance. Pretreatment of drug-sensitive CEM cells for 2 h with either 5 microM VM-26 or 3 microM m-AMSA reduced the specific activity of newly replicated DNA on the nuclear matrix by 75 and 50%, respectively, relative to that of the bulk DNA. However, neither VM-26 nor m-AMSA affected the relative specific activity of nascent DNA isolated from the nuclear matrices of drug-resistant CEM/VM-1 cells. The decatenating and unknotting activities of DNA topoisomerase II were 6- and 7-fold lower, respectively, in the nuclear matrix preparations from the CEM/VM-1 cells compared to parental CEM cells. Western blot analysis revealed that the amount of immunoreactive topoisomerase II in the nuclear matrices of the CEM/VM-1 cells was decreased 3.2-fold relative to that in CEM cells, but there was no significant difference in the amount of enzyme present in the nonmatrix (1.5 M salt soluble) fractions of nuclei from these cell lines. Increasing the NaCl concentration used in the matrix isolation procedure from 0.2 to 1.8 M resulted in a progressive decrease in the specific activity of topoisomerase II in matrices of CEM/VM-1 but not CEM cells, which suggested that the association of the enzyme with the matrix is altered in the resistant cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Proliferation dependence of topoisomerase II mediated drug action

Topoisomerase II mediated DNA scission induced by both a nonintercalating agent [4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin 4-(4,6-O-ethylidene-beta-D-glucopyranoside) (VP-16)] and an intercalator [4'-(9-acridinylamino) methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA)] was studied as a function of proliferation in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO), HeLa, and mouse leukemia L1210 cell lines. Log-phase CHO cells exhibited dose-dependent drug-induced DNA breaks, while plateau cells were found to be resistant to the effects of VP-16 and m-AMSA. Neither decreased viability nor altered drug uptake accounted for the drug resistance of these confluent cells. In contrast to CHO cells, plateau-phase HeLa and L1210 cells remained sensitive to VP-16 and m-AMSA. Recovery of drug sensitivity by plateau-phase CHO cells was found to reach a maximum approximately 18 h after these cells regained exponential growth and was independent of DNA synthesis. DNA strand break frequency correlated with cytotoxicity in CHO cells; log cells demonstrated an inverse log linear relationship between drug dose (or DNA damage) and colony survival, whereas plateau-derived colony survival was virtually unaffected by increasing drug dose. Topoisomerase II activity, whether determined by decatenation of kinetoplast DNA, by cleavage of pBR322 DNA, or by precipitation of the DNA-topoisomerase II complex, was uniformly severalfold greater in log-phase CHO cells compared to plateau-phase cells.