Inhibition of the initiation of leukemic transcription by N-trifluoroacetyladriamycin-14-O-hemiadipate in vitro. Impaired formation of RNA polymerase-DNA complex

Activation of human leukemia protein kinase C by tumor promoters and its inhibition by N-trifluoroacetyladriamycin-14-valerate (AD 32)

N-Trifluoroacetyladriamycin-14-valerate (AD 32), a lipophilic, DNA non-binding analog of Adriamycin (ADR), was found to be a potent inhibitor of the membrane-bound enzyme, protein kinase C (PKC). PKC was isolated and purified from human leukemia ML-1 cells, and the enzyme activity was shown to be activated by the tumor promoters 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu). AD 32, nevertheless, inhibited the activation of PKC by TPA or PDBu. The IC50 values for AD 32 inhibition of PKC activation were 0.85 microM for TPA and 1.25 microM for PDBu. Under the same assay conditions, ADR demonstrated much higher IC50 values: 550 microM for TPA and greater than 350 microM for PDBu. The inhibition of PKC by AD 32 was further shown to be competitive in nature; AD 32 inhibited the binding of [3H]PDBu to PKC. Therefore, AD 32 competes with the tumor promoter for the PKC binding site and prevents the latter from both interacting with the phospholipid and binding to PKC. These effects of AD 32 were reproduced in situ; incubation of human leukemia ML-1 cells with TPA showed an increased phosphorylation of cellular proteins, and the TPA-induced protein phosphorylation was inhibited by the addition of AD 32 to the cultured cells.

Drug inhibitors of RNA polymerase II transcription

Transcription by RNA polymerase II occurs after formation of a transcription complex. This complex is assembled in stages by the interaction of transcription factors with the template and/or with each other. We report on the ability of six drugs to inhibit the assembly of the RNA polymerase II transcription complex. Assembly of the complex on the adenovirus major late promoter requires several transcription factors. The normal assembly process requires that the DNA first interact with TFIIA, then with TFIID, and finally with at least four additional transcription factors (one of which is RNA polymerase II). We observed that streptolydigin (10 micrograms/ml) inhibits association of ILA and IID, and at higher concentrations (100 micrograms/ml) inhibits that IIA/IID complex from binding to DNA. Streptovaricin (100 micrograms/ml) appears to inhibit the IIA/IID interaction with DNA and prevents reinitiation (at 500 micrograms/ml). Adriamycin (1 microgram/ml) inhibits the interaction of TFIID with the IIA/DNA complex and inhibits an additional event immediately prior to, or during, elongation. Daunorubicin may be an elongation inhibitor. Heparin at 10 micrograms/ml inhibits further assembly after the IIA/IID/DNA complex has formed, and at 100 micrograms/ml also inhibits a late event in the assembly process and blocks reinitiation. Rifamycin AF/013 (100 micrograms/ml) inhibits the early events necessary to form the IIA/IID/DNA complex and (at 10 micrograms/ml) an assembly event following formation of the IIA/IID/DNA complex. Therefore, these compounds should be useful as probes for further examination of the assembly process.

Isolation and purification of protein kinase C from human leukemia ML-1 cells phosphorylation of human leukemia RNA polymerase II in vitro

Protein kinase C (PKC) was purified to near homogeneity from human leukemia ML-1 cells. The purified enzyme showed a single polypeptide band of 80 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel after electrophoresis, and was totally dependent on Ca2+/phospholipid for activity. Diacylglycerol and the tumor-promoting on Ca2/phospholipid for activity. Diacylglycerol and the tumor-promoting phorbol esters stimulated the enzyme activity. Autophosphorylation of PKC purified from phenyl-Sepharose column showed both 80- and 37 kDa polypeptides. Further fractionation of PKC on a hydroxyapatite column revealed two peaks of enzyme activity, indicating that there may be two different forms of protein kinase C present in human leukemia cells. The purified PKC was used to phosphorylate RNA polymerase II of human leukemia cells in vitro and the autoradiogram showed that RNA polymerase II large subunits (240, 220 and 150 kDa) were phosphorylated in a time-dependent manner.

Cremophor EL, a widely used parenteral vehicle, is a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C

Cremophor EL, a castor oil derivative, has been considered a non-toxic solubilizer for lipophilic drugs and vitamins. Protein kinase C, a phospholipid/Ca++-dependent protein kinase, is known to phosphorylate, in response to extracellular stimuli, a variety of proteins for cellular functions. The present study shows that Cremophor EL selectively inhibits the activity of protein kinase C in vitro. The potency of this selective inhibition is greater than that of other protein kinase C-specific inhibitor thus far reported. Cremophor EL acts primarily on the enzyme activator diacylglycerol (or the phorbol ester) and prevents the latter from both interacting with the phospholipid and binding to protein kinase C. This is the first report of a significant biological activity induced by this widely used substituted castor oil solubilizer.

Multiple mechanisms for the inhibition of rRNA synthesis during HL-60 leukemia cell differentiation

Treatment of HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells with inducers of granulocytic differentiation produces a depletion of cellular rRNA, with the anthracycline antibiotics aclacinomycin A (ACM) and marcellomycin (MCM) causing a more rapid loss than dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). This action is associated with a large reduction in RNA synthesis, which precedes any decreases in protein or DNA synthesis, and is specific for rRNA relative to total polyadenylated RNA synthesis. A 70% reduction in rRNA synthesis occurs within 20 minutes of ACM treatment and by 30 hours of DMSO exposure. Relative to the amount of 28S and 18S rRNA in the cells, there is a nearly complete depletion of the amount of 45S rRNA and other large rRNA precursors in cells treated with ACM, MCM, and the intercalating agent actinomycin D. In contrast, DMSO treatment produces a more coordinated decrease in 18S and 28S rRNA and rRNA precursors. The anthracycline antibiotics inhibited the synthesis of 5' proximal and 3' distal regions of the pre-rRNA transcript, while actinomycin D had a relatively sparing effect on the transcription of the 5' external transcribed spacer region of the gene relative to depletion of 3' transcripts. These studies demonstrate that different inducers of HL-60 differentiation have varying sites of action on rRNA synthesis and/or processing, with depletion of cellular rRNA as a common consequence.

Effects of antibiotics on RNA polymerase III transcription

We investigated the effects of six drugs on an RNA polymerase III in vitro transcription system. Adriamycin, daunorubicin, heparin, rifamycin AF/013, streptolydigin, and streptovaricin all inhibit RNA synthesis from a tRNA gene or the adenovirus 2 (AD2) VA1 RNA gene. The completed RNA polymerase III transcription complex is formed by the sequential, ordered addition of protein factors. Although both genes reportedly use the same transcription fractions for in vitro RNA synthesis, some of these drugs interfere differentially with these genes. A drug concentration that inhibits transcription from one gene may not inhibit transcription from the other gene. Adriamycin seems to block transcription if added between the binding of the individual transcription fractions. Daunorubicin appears to inhibit VA transcription only if added prior to both transcription fractions, but inhibits tRNA synthesis before and during transcription factor binding. Heparin blocks both genes between factors binding to DNA and after factor binding. Rifamycin blocks VA synthesis more effectively than tRNA synthesis. Streptolydigin blocks transcription of both genes. Streptovaricin probably blocks transcription by inhibiting early transcription complex assembly events. These drugs appear useful as appropriate probes to investigate transcription complexes since several discriminate between complexes formed on different genes during the assembly process.

Protein kinase C phosphorylates leukemia RNA polymerase II

Purified RNA polymerase II from chicken leukemia cells was found to be an effective substrate for protein kinase C but not cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Protein kinase C catalyzed the incorporation of 1-2 mol of phosphate per mol of polymerase II and the reaction was totally calcium and lipid dependent. Electrophoresis studies revealed a time-dependent increase of phosphate incorporation into RNA polymerase II subunits of 220 KDa, 180 KDa and 150 KDa, with a preferential phosphorylation of the 180 KDa polypeptide. The phosphorylated enzyme has a preference for using single-stranded DNA as the template for transcription, including transcription of the single-stranded myb oncogene sequence. Phosphoamino acid analysis indicated that both serine and threonine residues were phosphorylated at equal amounts. Phosphorylation by protein kinase C increased the affinity of substrate-polymerase binding and the initial rate of RNA synthesis, suggesting a mechanism by which gene expression can be activated by protein kinase C.

The 180 KDa polypeptide contains the DNA-binding domain of RNA polymerase II

Purification of RNA polymerase II from chicken myeloblastosis (leukemia) cells to homogeneity and subsequent structural analysis of the purified enzyme revealed that the enzyme contained seven polypeptides with molecular masses ranging from 27 KDa to 220 KDa. Inclusion of protease inhibitors in the buffer system during purification significantly increased the molar ratio of the largest (220 KDa) polypeptide to the second largest (180 KDa) polypeptide. However, proteolytic conversion of the 220 KDa to 180 KDa polypeptide did not inhibit the DNA binding activity of the enzyme. The enzyme, after dissociation into subunits in a SDS-polyacrylamide gel containing urea was blotted onto a nitrocellulose filter. The filter was incubated with 32P-labeled calf thymus DNA and both the 220 KDa and 180 KDa polypeptides of the enzyme bind DNA, suggesting that the DNA-binding site of the enzyme resides on the 180 KDa polypeptide of the largest subunit.

Interaction of N-trifluoroacetyladriamycin-14-O-hemiadipate with chicken leukemia RNA polymerase. Formation of drug-enzyme complex

The biochemical mechanism of the N-trifluoroacetyladriamycin-14-O-hemiadipate-induced inhibition of RNA synthesis in vitro by chicken (myeloblastosis) leukemia RNA polymerase II was studied. The inhibition was found to be dependent upon preincubation of the drug with the enzyme prior to enzyme assays, suggesting that drug-enzyme interactions occur. A drug-enzyme association complex was subsequently isolated through glycerol gradient sedimentation and further characterized by fluorescent microscopic studies. The drug was dissociated from the complex upon sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-gel electrophoresis, revealing the non-covalent nature of the binding between the drug and the RNA polymerase.

In vitro DNA strand scission and inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in L1210 leukemia cells by a new class of DNA complexers, the anthra[1,9-cd]pyrazol-6(2H)-ones (anthrapyrazoles)

CI-937 and CI-942 belong to a new class of DNA complexers, the anthra[1,9-cd]pyrazol-6(2H)-ones (anthrapyrazoles), and are being further developed as antitumor drugs based on their curative properties against murine solid tumour models. The biochemical effects of these agents were studied in L1210 leukemia in relation to other clinically used intercalators. After a 1-hr exposure, CI-937 and CI-942 reduced the cloning efficiency of L1210 cells by 50% at 3.0 X 10(-8) and 1.5 X 10(-7) M respectively. Based on an ethidium displacement assay, these drugs bound strongly to DNA, reducing the fluorescence of an ethidium-DNA complex by 50% at concentrations of 23 and 33 nM for CI-937 and CI-942 respectively. This was comparable to mitoxantrone at 15 nM, but much more potent than Amsacrine which required over 1.3 microM. A distinct property of the anthrapyrazoles was a much more potent inhibitory effect on whole cell DNA synthesis than on RNA synthesis. After L1210 cells were exposed to drug for 2 hr the concentration needed to inhibit DNA synthesis by 50% was 0.33 and 0.57 microM for CI-937 and CI-942, respectively, whereas 2.0 and 11.3 microM were required to inhibit RNA synthesis by the same extent. This was in contrast to Adriamycin and mitoxantrone which inhibited both activities equally at similar concentrations. It was apparent that the inhibition of these processes was not due to substrate depletion since intracellular ribonucleoside and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates either remained constant or were elevated after a 2-hr exposure to 1 or 10 microM drug. A similar discriminatory effect was observed on DNA and RNA polymerase in permeabilized cells, and the inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in this system could be reversed by exogenously added DNA. Since the high incidence of cardiotoxicity associated with the administration of anthracyclines has been related to the formation of reactive oxygen species, the ability of the anthrapyrazoles to augment superoxide dismutase sensitive oxygen consumption was observed in a rat liver microsomal system. CI-937 and CI-942 induced 5- and 10-fold less oxygen consumption than Adriamycin, producing rates of 12.4, 24.2 and 138.9 nmoles/min/mg microsomal protein, respectively, at a drug concentration of 0.5 mM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)