Nadph-Cytochrome-P450 Reductase Promotes Hydroxyl Radical Production by the Iron Complex of ADR-925, the Hydrolysis Product of ICRF-187 (Dexrazoxane)

ICRF-187 (dexrazoxane) is currently in clinical trials as a cardioprotective agent for the prevention of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. ICRF-187 likely acts through its strongly metal ion-binding rings-opened hydrolysis product ADR-925 by removing iron from its complex with doxorubicin or by chelating free iron. The ability of NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase to promote hydroxyl radical formation by iron complexes of ADR-925 and EDTA was compared by EPR spin trapping. The iron-EDTA complex produced hydroxyl radicals at six times the rate that the iron-ADR-925 complex did. The aerobic oxidation of ferrous complexes of ADR-925, its tetraacid analog, EDTA and DTPA was followed spectropho-tometrically. The iron(II)-ADR-925 complex was aerobically oxidized 700 times slower than was the EDTA complex. It is concluded that even though ADR-925 does not completely eliminate iron-based hydroxyl radical production, it likely protects by preventing site-specific hydroxyl radical damage by the iron-doxorubicin complex.     

DNA strand breaks induced by the anti-topoisomerase II bis-dioxopiperazine ICRF-193

The bis-dioxopiperazine ICRF-193 has long time been considered as a pure topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitor able to exert its inhibitory effect on the enzyme without stabilization of the so-called cleavable complex formed by DNA covalently bound to topoisomerase II. In recent years, however, this concept has been challenged, as a number of reports have shown that ICRF-193 really "poisons" the enzyme, most likely through a different mechanism from that shown by the classical topoisomerase II poisons used in cancer chemotherapy. In the present investigation, we have carried out a study of the capacity of ICRF-193 to induce DNA strand breaks, as classical poisons do, in cultured V79 and irs-2 Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts using the comet assay and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Our results clearly show that ICRF-193 readily induces breakage in DNA through a mechanism as yet poorly understood.     

Stereoselective metabolism of dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) and levrazoxane (ICRF-186)

A chiral HPLC method has been developed to separate razoxane (ICRF-159) in blood plasma into its enantiomers dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) and levrazoxane (ICRF-186). Dexrazoxane is clinically used as a doxorubicin cardioprotective agent and little is known of its in vivo metabolism. After intravenous administration of 20 mg/kg of razoxane to rats, the razoxane was eliminated from the plasma with a half-time of approximately 20 min. The levrazoxane:dexrazoxane ratio continuously increased with time to a value of 1.5 at 150 min, indicating that dexrazoxane is metabolized faster than levrazoxane. These results, confirmed with studies on liver supernatants, are consistent with the hypothesis that dihydropyrimidine amidohydrolase in the liver and kidney is responsible for the preferential metabolism of dexrazoxane in the rat compared to levrazoxane. It is possible that on a dose-per-dose basis marginally higher therapeutic levels of levrazoxane might be achieved in the heart tissue for a longer time compared to dexrazoxane due to dihydropyrimidine amidohydrolase-based metabolism in the liver and kidney. However, given the relatively small difference in elimination of the two enantiomers, it would be difficult to predict from this study whether or not dexrazoxane or levrazoxane might be more efficacious in reducing cardiotoxicity.     

Cell cycle-dependent DNA damage signaling induced by ICRF-193 involves ATM, ATR, CHK2, and BRCA1

Topoisomerase II is essential for cell proliferation and survival and has been a target of various anticancer drugs. ICRF-193 has long been used as a catalytic inhibitor to study the function of topoisomerase II. Here, we show that ICRF-193 treatment induces DNA damage signaling. Treatment with ICRF-193 induced G2 arrest and DNA damage signaling involving gamma-H2AX foci formation and CHK2 phosphorylation. DNA damage by ICRF-193 was further demonstrated by formation of the nuclear foci of 53BP1, NBS1, BRCA1, MDC1, and FANCD2 and increased comet tail moment. The DNA damage signaling induced by ICRF-193 was mediated by ATM and ATR and was restricted to cells in specific cell cycle stages such as S, G2, and mitosis including late and early G1 phases. Downstream signaling of ATM and ATR involved the phosphorylation of CHK2 and BRCA1. Altogether, our results demonstrate that ICRF-193 induces DNA damage signaling in a cell cycle-dependent manner and suggest that topoisomerase II might be essential for the progression of the cell cycle at several stages including DNA decondensation.     

Iron complexes of the cardioprotective agent dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) and its desmethyl derivative, ICRF-154: solid state structure, solution thermodynamics, and DNA cleavage activity

This study investigates the solution thermodynamics of the iron complexes of dexrazoxane (ICRF-187, (+)-1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazinyl-1-yl)propane), [Fe(ADR-925)](+/0), and its desmethyl derivative ICRF-154, [Fe(ICRF-247)H2O](+/0). The solid state structure of [Fe(ICRF-247)H2O]+ is also reported. [Fe(ICRF-247)H2O]Br x 0.5NaBr x H2O crystallizes in the P42(1)2 space group with Z = 4, a = 14.9851(8), b = 14.9851(8), c = 8.0825(9) A and R = 0.03(2) for 1839 reflections and exhibits a pentagonal bipyramidal geometry with a labile water molecule occupying the seventh coordination site. Potentiometric titrations (FeL = 8.5 mM, 0.1 M NaNO3, 25 degrees C) reveal stable monomeric complexes (log Kf = 18.2 +/- 0.1, [Fe(ADR-925)]+, and 17.4 +/- 0.1, [Fe(ICRF-247)H2O]+) exist in solution at relatively low pH. Upon addition of base, the iron-bound water is deprotonated; the pKa values for [Fe(ICRF-247)H2O]+ and [Fe(ADR-925)]+ are 5.63 +/- 0.07 and 5.84 +/- 0.07, respectively. At higher pH both complexes undergo mu-oxo dimerization characterized by log Kd values of 2.68 +/- 0.07 for [Fe(ICRF-247)H2O]+ and 2.23 +/- 0.07 for [Fe(ADR-925)]+. In the presence of an oxidant and reductant, both [Fe(ICRF-247)H2O]+ and [Fe(ADR-925)]+ produce hydroxyl radicals that cleave pBR322 plasmid DNA at pH 7 in a metal complex concentration-dependent manner. At low metal complex concentrations (approximately 10(-5) M) where the monomeric form predominates, cleavage by both FeICRF complexes is efficient while at higher concentrations (approximately 5 x 10(-4) M) DNA cleavage is hindered. This change in reactivity is in part accounted for by dimer formation.     

Effects of MnDPDP and ICRF-187 on Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity and Anticancer Activity

Oxidative stress participates in doxorubicin (Dx)-induced cardiotoxicity. The metal complex MnDPDP and its metabolite MnPLED possess SOD-mimetic activity, DPDP and PLED have, in addition, high affinity for iron. Mice were injected intravenously with MnDPDP, DPDP, or dexrazoxane (ICRF-187). Thirty minutes later, mice were killed, the left atria were hung in organ baths and electrically stimulated, saline or Dx was added, and the contractility was measured for 60 minutes. In parallel experiments, 10 μM MnDPDP or MnPLED was added directly into the organ bath. The effect of MnDPDP on antitumor activity of Dx against two human tumor xenografts (MX-1 and A2780) was investigated. The in vitro cytotoxic activity was studied by co-incubating A2780 cells with MnDPDP, DPDP, and/or Dx. Dx caused a marked reduction in contractile force. In vivo treatment with MnDPDP and ICRF-187 attenuated the negative effect of Dx. When added directly into the bath, MnDPDP did not protect, whereas MnPLED attenuated the Dx effect by approximately 50%. MnDPDP or ICRF-187 did not interfere negatively with the anti-tumor activity of Dx, either in vivo or in vitro. Micromolar concentrations of DPDP but not MnDPDP displayed an in vitro cytotoxic activity against A2780 cells. The present results show that MnDPDP, after being metabolized to MnPLED, protects against acute Dx cardiotoxicity. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments show that cardioprotection takes place without interfering negatively with the anticancer activity of Dx. Furthermore, the results suggest that the previously described cytotoxic in vivo activity of MnDPDP is an inherent property of DPDP.     

Topoisomerase II poisoning by ICRF-193

Antineoplastic bis(dioxopiperazine)s, such as meso-2,3-bis(2,6-dioxopiperazin-4-yl)butane (ICRF-193), are widely believed to be only catalytic inhibitors of topoisomerase II. However, topoisomerase inhibitors have little or no antineoplastic activity unless they are topoisomerase poisons, a special subclass of topoisomerase-targeting drugs that stabilize topoisomerase-DNA strand passing intermediates and thus cause the topoisomerase to become a cytotoxic DNA-damaging agent. Here we report that ICRF-193 is a very significant topoisomerase II poison. Detection of topoisomerase II poisoning by ICRF-193 required the use of a chaotropic protein denaturant in the topoisomerase poisoning assays. ICRF-193 caused dose-dependent cross-linking of human topoisomerase IIbeta to DNA and stimulated topoisomerase IIbeta-mediated DNA cleavage at specific sites on (32)P-end-labeled DNA. Human topoisomerase IIalpha-mediated DNA cleavage was stimulated to a lesser extent by ICRF-193. In vivo experiments with MCF-7 cells also showed the requirement of a chaotropic protein denaturant in the assays and selectivity for the beta-isozyme of human topoisomerase II. Studies with two topoisomerase IIbeta-negative cell model systems confirmed significant topoisomerase II poisoning by ICRF-193 in the wild type cells and were consistent with beta-isozyme selectivity. Common use of only the detergent, SDS, in assays may have led to failure to detect topoisomerase II poisoning by ICRF-193 in earlier studies.     

Free Radical Inactivation of Rabbit Muscle Creatine Kinase: Catalysis by Physiological and Hydrolyzed ICRF-187 (ICRF-198) Iron Chelates

Creatine kinase is a sulfhydryl containing enzyme that is particularly susceptible to oxidative inactivation. This enzyme is potentially vulnerable to inactivation under conditions when it would be used as a diagnostic marker of tissue damage such as during cardiac ischemia/reperfusion or other oxidative tissue injury. Oxidative stress in tissues can induce the release of iron from its storage proteins, making it an available catalyst for free radical reactions. Although creatine kinase inactivation in a heart reperfusion model has been documented, the mechanism has not been fully described, particularly with regard to the role of iron. We have investigated the inactivation of rabbit muscle creatine kinase by hydrogen peroxide and by xanthine oxidase generated superoxide or Adriamycin radicals in the presence of iron catalysts. As shown previously, creatine kinase was inactivated by hydrogen peroxide. Ferrous iron enhanced the inactivation. In addition, micromolar levels of iron and iron chelates that were reduced and recycled by superoxide or Adriamycin radicals were effective catalysts of creatine kinase inactivation. Of the physiological iron chelates studied, Fe(ATP) was an especially effective catalyst of inactivation by what appeared to be a site-localized reaction. Fe(ICRF-198), a non-physiological chelate of interest because of its putative role in alleviating Adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity, also catalyzed the inactivation. Scavenger studies implicated hydroxyl radical as the oxidant involved in iron-dependent creatine kinase inactivation. Loss of protein thiols accompanied loss of creatine kinase activity. Reduced glutathione (GSH) provided marked protection from oxidative inactivation, suggesting that enzyme inactivation under physiological conditions would occur only after GSH depletion.     

Inhibition of anthracycline semiquinone formation by ICRF-187 (Dexrazoxane) in cells

The formation of semiquinone free radicals of doxorubicin, epirubicin, daunorubicin, and idarubicin was measured by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in hypoxic suspensions of chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The amount of semiquinone produced was in the order idarubicin > doxorubicin > daunorubicin > epirubicin. The idarubicin semiquinone signal was both the fastest to be formed and to decay. Idarubicin, which was the most lipophilic of the anthracyclines studied, also displayed the fastest fluorescence-measured cellular uptake of drug. Thus, it was concluded that semiquinone formation was dependent upon the rate of cellular uptake. Lysed cell suspensions were also shown to be capable of producing the doxorubicin semiquinone in the presence of added NADPH. The cardioprotective agent dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) was observed to decrease the amount of doxorubicin semiquinone observed in cell suspensions. Dexrazoxane also decreased the amount of doxorubicin semiquinone observed in the NADPH-lysed cell suspension mixture. Neither bipyridine nor deferoxamine decreased NADPH-dependent doxorubicin semiquinone formation. These results suggest that dexrazoxane does not decrease doxorubicin semiquinone formation through an iron complex formed from hydrolyzed dexrazoxane. Dexrazoxane may be inhibiting an NADPH-dependent enzyme.     

Steady-state and rapid kinetic analysis of topoisomerase II trapped as the closed-clamp intermediate by ICRF-193

DNA topoisomerase II uses a complex, sequential mechanism of ATP hydrolysis to catalyze the transport of one DNA duplex through a transient break in another. ICRF-193 is a catalytic inhibitor of topoisomerase II that is known to trap a closed-clamp intermediate form of the enzyme. Using steady-state and rapid kinetic ATPase and DNA transport assays, we have analyzed how trapping this intermediate by the drug perturbs the topoisomerase II mechanism. The drug has no effect on the rate of the first turnover of decatenation but potently inhibits subsequent turnovers with an IC(50) of 6.5 +/- 1 microM for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme. This drug inhibits the ATPase activity of topoisomerase II by an unusual, mixed-type mechanism; the drug is not a competitive inhibitor of ATP, and even at saturating concentrations of drug, the enzyme continues to hydrolyze ATP, albeit at a reduced rate. Topoisomerase II that was specifically isolated in the drug-bound, closed-clamp form continues to hydrolyze ATP, indicating that the enzyme clamp does not need to re-open to bind and hydrolyze ATP. When rapid-quench ATPase assays were initiated by the addition of ATP, the drug had no effect on the sequential hydrolysis of either the first or second ATP. By contrast, when the drug was prebound, the enzyme hydrolyzed one labeled ATP at the uninhibited rate but did not hydrolyze a second ATP. These results are interpreted in terms of the catalytic mechanism for topoisomerase II and suggest that ICRF-193 interacts with the enzyme bound to one ADP.     

The cardioprotective effect of the iron chelator dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) on anthracycline-mediated cardiotoxicity

Abstract

The cardiotoxic effect of anthracyclines limits their use in the treatment of a variety of cancers. The reason for the high susceptibility of cardiac muscle to anthracyclines remains unclear, but it appears to be due, at least in part, to the interaction of these drugs with intracellular iron (Fe). The suggestion that Fe plays an important role in anthracycline cardiotoxicity has been strengthened by observation that the chelator, dexrazoxane (ICRF-187), has a potent cardioprotective effect. In the present review, the role of Fe in the cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines is discussed together with the possible role of Fe chelation therapy as a cardioprotective strategy that may also result in enhanced antitumour activity.     

A comparative study of the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of ICRF-154 and bimolane,two catalytic inhibitors of topoisomerase II

ICRF-154 and bimolane have been used for the treatment of cancer, psoriasis, and uveitis in humans. Previous reports have revealed that the two drugs are topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitors, and patients treated with these agents have developed unique types of secondary leukemia. A study published in 1984 by Camerman and colleagues proposed that the therapeutic effects of bimolane could be due to ICRF-154, an impurity present within the bimolane samples that may also be responsible for the toxic effects attributed to bimolane. To date, this hypothesis has not been evaluated. In addition, little is known about the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of ICRF-154. In this study, a combination of in vitro tests in human TK6 lymphoblastoid cells has been used to characterize the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of ICRF-154 and bimolane as well as to compare the results for the two chemicals. ICRF-154 and bimolane were both cytotoxic, exhibiting very similar effects in three measures of cytotoxicity and cell proliferation. In the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay with CREST-antibody staining, the two agents similarly induced chromosome breakage and, to a lesser extent, chromosome loss. Intriguingly, both drugs resulted in the formation of binucleated cells, perhaps as a consequence of an interference with cytokinesis. To further investigate their aneugenic effects, flow cytometry and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses revealed that both compounds also produced similar levels of non-disjunction and polyploidy. In each of the cellular and cytogenetic assays employed, the responses of the ICRF-154-treated cells were very similar to those observed with the bimolane, and generally occurred at equimolar test concentrations. Our results, combined with those from previous studies, strongly suggest that bimolane degrades to ICRF-154, and that ICRF-154 is most likely the chemical species responsible for the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and leukemogenic effects exerted by bimolane.     

The cardioprotective effect of the iron chelator dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) on anthracycline-mediated cardiotoxicity

The cardiotoxic effect of anthracyclines limits their use in the treatment of a variety of cancers. The reason for the high susceptibility of cardiac muscle to anthracyclines remains unclear, but it appears to be due, at least in part, to the interaction of these drugs with intracellular iron (Fe). The suggestion that Fe plays an important role in anthracycline cardiotoxicity has been strengthened by observation that the chelator, dexrazoxane (ICRF-187), has a potent cardioprotective effect. In the present review, the role of Fe in the cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines is discussed together with the possible role of Fe chelation therapy as a cardioprotective strategy that may also result in enhanced antitumour activity.     

Hydroxyl radical production by the iron complex of the hydrolysis product of the antioxidant cardioprotective agent ICRF-187 (dexrazoxane)

SUMMARY

Dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) is now in clinical use for the prevention of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. This cardiotoxicity is thought to be due to iron-mediated oxidative stress. Dexrazoxane may be acting through its strongly metal ion binding rings-opened hydrolysis product ADR-925 by complexing iron. Since iron-chelates are known to be able to produce hydroxyl radicals, an electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping study was undertaken to compare the hydroxyl radical-producing ability of the ferrous-ADR-925 complex with that of the ferrous complexes of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and the tetraacid analog of ADR-925 (DAPTA). In spectrophotometric studies it was shown that the ferrous-ADR-925 complex underwent aerobic oxidation 87 and 44 times slower than the ferrous complexes of EDTA or 1,2-diaminopropane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (DAPTA), respectively. In spite of the much slower oxidation of the ferrous-ADR-925 complex, it was, nonetheless, equally effective in producing hydrogen peroxide-dependent spin adducts. These spin adducts were produced from the reaction of the spin trap with free hydroxyl radical (HO^.), and with a transient iron oxidant with HO^.-like reactivity. Thus, it is concluded that ADR-925 acts by either complexing free iron or iron bound to doxorubicin, and forming a soluble iron complex that is less effective at producing site-specific oxygen radical damage.     

Hypersensitivity of nonhomologous DNA end-joining mutants to VP-16 and ICRF-193: implications for the repair of topoisomerase II-mediated DNA damage

A number of clinically useful anticancer drugs, including etoposide (VP-16), target DNA topoisomerase (topo) II. These drugs, referred to as topo II poisons, stabilize cleavable complexes, thereby generating DNA double-strand breaks. Bis-2,6-dioxopiperazines such as ICRF-193 also inhibit topo II by inducing a distinct type of DNA damage, termed topo II clamps, which has been believed to be devoid of double-strand breaks. Despite the biological and clinical importance, the molecular mechanisms for the repair of topo II-mediated DNA damage remain largely unknown. Here, we perform genetic analyses using the chicken DT40 cell line to investigate how DNA lesions caused by topo II inhibitors are repaired. Notably, we show that LIG4-/- and KU70-/- cells, which are defective in nonhomologous DNA end-joining (NHEJ), are extremely sensitive to both VP-16 and ICRF-193. In contrast, RAD54-/- cells (defective in homologous recombination) are much less hypersensitive to VP-16 than the NHEJ mutants and, more importantly, are not hypersensitive to ICRF-193. Our results provide the first evidence that NHEJ is the predominant pathway for the repair of topo II-mediated DNA damage; that is, cleavable complexes and topo II clamps. The outstandingly increased cytotoxicity of topo II inhibitors in the absence of NHEJ suggests that simultaneous inhibition of topo II and NHEJ would provide a powerful protocol in cancer chemotherapy involving topo II inhibitors.     

Flow cytometric analysis of ICRF-193 influence on cell passage through mitosis

Studying the effect of topoisomerase II (topo II) inhibitors on cell passage through mitosis seems to be important for understanding the role of this enzyme during chromosome condensation and segregation. A flow cytometric assay (Zenin et al., 2001) allowed to determine the mitotic index, and to discriminate between not only cells in G2 and M phases (including metaphase and anaphase cells), but also cells in pseudo-G1 with 4c DNA content. It is shown that topo II catalytic inhibitor ICRF-193 blocks G2-M transition in a lymphoblastoid cell line GM-130. Addition of caffeine to cells abrogated a block of their entering mitosis but not the inhibitor action. Cells entered mitosis, which was proven by the presence of chromosomes in the examined specimen, and, bypassing anaphase, appeared in pseudo-G1 with 4c DNA content. We have found that in the presence of ICRF-193 cells, GM-130 and Hep-2 lines, previously blocked by nocodazole when in mitosis and then washed, pass through metaphase, enter anaphase and leave it to pass to pseudo-G1 with the 4c DNA content. Thus, by inhibiting topo II activity ICRF-193 causes abnormal mitotic transition.     

A comparative study of genotoxic effects of anti-topoisomerase II drugs ICRF-193 and bufalin in Chinese hamster ovary cells

With the ultimate purpose of testing the existence of possible differences in the effectiveness of the topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitor ICRF-193 (a bisdioxopiperazine) and the enzyme suppressor bufalin (a bufadienolide from toad venom) we have carried out a series of experiments aimed at inducing cytotoxicity as well as DNA and chromosome damage in transformed CHO cells. In order to assess any possible influence of DNA repair capacity of the treated cells on the final outcome, we have made use of the repair-defective CHO mutant EM9, which shows a defect in DNA single- and double-strand breaks repair for comparison with its repair-proficient parental line AA8.Our results seem to indicate that, while both ICRF-193 and bufalin suppress cell growth and result in a clear inhibition of topoisomerase II catalytic activity, only ICRF-193 has been shown as able to induce both chromosome and DNA damage, with a more pronounced effect in the CHO mutant EM9 than in the repair-proficient line AA8.     

Enhanced processing of UVA-irradiated DNA by human topoisomerase II in living cells

Solar UV light induces a variety of DNA lesions in the genome. Enhanced cleavage of such base modifications by topoisomerase II has been demonstrated in vitro, but it is unclear what will arise from an interplay of these mechanisms in the genome of a living cell exposed to UV light. To address this question, we have subjected cells expressing biofluorescent topoisomerase IIalpha or IIbeta to DNA base modifications inflicted by a UVA laser at 364 nm through a confocal microscope in a locally confined manner. At DNA sites thus irradiated, we observed rapid, long term (>90 min) accumulation of topoisomerase IIalpha and IIbeta, which was accompanied by a decrease in mobility but not immobilization of the enzyme. The catalytic topoisomerase II inhibitor ICRF-187 prevented the effect when added to the cell culture before the UVA pulse but promoted it when added thereafter. Self-primed in situ extension with rhodamine-dUTP revealed massive DNA breakage at the UVA-exposed spot. Culturing the cells with ICRF-187 before UVA-exposure prevented such breaks. In conclusion, we show in a living cell nucleus that UVA-modified DNA is preferentially targeted and processed by topoisomerase IIalpha and IIbeta. This results in increased levels of topoisomerase II-mediated DNA breaks, but formation of immobile, stable topoisomerase II.DNA intermediates is not notably promoted. Inhibition of topoisomerase II activity by ICRF-187 greatly diminishes UVA-induced DNA breakage, implying topoisomerase IIalpha and IIbeta as endogenous co-factors modulating and possibly aggravating the impact of UVA light on the genome.     

A novel gene family defined by human dihydropyrimidinase and three related proteins with differential tissue distribution

We have isolated cDNA clones encoding dihydropyrimidinase (DHPase) from human liver and its three homologues from human fetal brain. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence of human DHPase showed 90% identity with that of rat DHPase, and the three homologues showed 57–59% aa identity with human DHPase, and 74–77% aa identity with each other. We tentatively termed these homologues human DHPase related protein (DRP)-1, DRP-2 and DRP-3. Human DRP-2 showed 98% aa identity with chicken CRMP-62 (collapsin response mediator protein of relative molecular mass of 62 kDa) which is involved in neuronal growth cone collapse. Human DRP-3 showed 94–100% aa identity with two partial peptide sequences of rat TOAD-64 (turned on after division, 64 kDa) which is specifically expressed in postmitotic neurons. Human DHPase and DRPs showed a lower degree of aa sequence identity with Bacillus stearothermophilus hydantoinase (39–42%) and Caenorhabditis elegans unc-33 (32–34%). Thus we describe a novel gene family which displays differential tissue distribution: i.e., human DHPase, in liver and kidney; human DRP-1, in brain; human DRP-2, ubiquitously expressed except for liver; human DRP-3, mainly in heart and skeletal muscle.