Major contribution of the multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein to reduced susceptibility of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 knock-out cells to doxorubicin action

Inactivation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) has been shown to potentiate the cytotoxicity of distinct DNA targeting agents including topoisomerase I inhibitors. On the other hand, the PARP-1 deficient cells exhibited resistance to conventional inhibitors of topoisomerase II such as etoposide or doxorubicin (DOX). Recently, we observed the extreme sensitivity of PARP-1 knock-out (KO) cells to C-1305, a new biologically active triazoloacridone compound. C-1305 permanently arrested the cells in G2-phase of the cell-cycle. These observations prompted us to investigate more thoroughly the susceptibility of PARP-1 KO cells to DOX and to examine the effect of DOX on the progression of cell-cycle. We determined the uptake of DOX and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression in mouse cells and compared it with that in human myeloma 8226/Dox40 cells overexpressing P-gp. Exposure of mouse cells to DOX revealed a reduced drug uptake in cells lacking PARP-1. However, combined treatment with verapamil, a potent MDR modulator increased the DOX accumulation. Detailed immunoblotting experiments revealed an approximately threefold higher P-gp level in PARP-1 KO cells as compared with normal counterparts. Interestingly, DOX induced in normal fibroblasts very rapidly G2 arrest whereas in PARP-1 KO cells it blocked primarily the transition between S and G2 resulting in the increase of cells remaining in S-phase. This coincided with the lack of the site-specific phosphorylation of CDK2. Simultaneous inhibition of P-gp in cells lacking PARP-1 resulted in an accumulation of cells in G2. Exposure of mouse cells to high DOX dose activated significantly caspase-3/7 in PARP-1 KO cells.