Resistance of mammalian tumor cells to inhibitors of DNA topoisomerase II

Thiosemicarbazones as Potent Anticancer Agents and their Modes of Action

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Thiosemicarbazones (TSCs) are a class of Schiff bases usually obtained by the condensation of thiosemicarbazide with a suitable aldehyde or ketone. TSCs have been the focus of chemists and biologists due to their wide range of pharmacological effects. One of the promising areas in which these excellent metal chelators are being developed is their use against cancer. TSCs have a wide clinical antitumor spectrum with efficacy in various tumor types such as leukemia, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and bladder cancer. To obtain better activity, different series of TSCs have been developed by modifying the heteroaromatic system in their molecules. These compounds possessed significant antineoplastic activity when the carbonyl attachment of the side chain was located at a position α to the ring nitrogen atom, whereas attachment of the side chain β or γ to the heterocyclic N atom resulted in inactive antitumor agents. In addition, replacement of the heterocyclic ring N with C also resulted in a biologically inactive compound suggesting that a conjugated N,N,S-tridentate donor set is essential for the biological activities of thiosemicarbazones. Several possible mechanisms have been implemented for the anticancer activity of thiosemicarbazones.

Overexpression of the atypical protein kinase C zeta reduces topoisomerase II catalytic activity, cleavable complexes formation, and drug-induced cytotoxicity in monocytic U937 leukemia cells

In this study, we evaluated the influence of protein kinase C zeta (PKC zeta) on topoisomerase II inhibitor-induced cytotoxicity in monocytic U937 cells. In U937-zeta J and U937-zeta B cells, enforced PKC zeta expression, conferred by stable transfection of PKC zeta cDNA, resulted in total inhibition of VP-16- and mitoxantrone-induced apoptosis and decreased drug-induced cytotoxicity, compared with U937-neo control cells. In PKC zeta-overexpressing cells, drug resistance correlated with decreased VP-16-induced DNA strand breaks and DNA protein cross-links measured by alkaline elution. Kinetoplast decatenation assay revealed that PKC zeta overexpression resulted in reduced global topoisomerase II activity. Moreover, in PKC zeta-overexpressing cells, we found that PKC zeta interacted with both alpha and beta isoforms of topoisomerase II, and these two enzymes were constitutively phosphorylated. However, when human recombinant PKC zeta (rH-PKC zeta) was incubated with purified topoisomerase II isoforms, rH-PKC zeta interacted with topoisomerase II beta but not with topoisomerase II alpha. PKC zeta/topoisomerase II beta interaction resulted in phosphorylation of this enzyme and in decrease of its catalytic activity. Finally, this report shows for the first time that topoisomerase II beta is a substrate for PKC zeta, and that PKC zeta may significantly influence topoisomerase II inhibitor-induced cytotoxicity by altering topoisomerase II beta activity through its kinase function.

Synthesis and biological activity of a photoaffinity etoposide probe

The epipodophyllotoxin etoposide is a potent and widely used anticancer drug that targets DNA topoisomerase II. The synthesis, photochemical, and biological testing of a photoactivatable aromatic azido analogue of etoposide also containing an iodo group is described. This azido analogue should prove useful for identifying the etoposide interaction site on topoisomerase II. Irradiation of the azido analogue and an aldehyde-containing azido precursor with UV light produced changes in their UV--visible spectra that were consistent with photoactivation. The azido analogue strongly inhibited topoisomerase II and inhibited the growth of Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. Azido analogue-induced topoisomerase II--DNA covalent complexes were significantly increased subsequent to UV irradiation of drug-treated human leukemia K562 cells as compared to etoposide-treated cells. These results suggest that the photoactivated form of etoposide is a more effective topoisomerase II poison either by interacting directly with the enzyme or with DNA subsequent to topoisomerase II-mediated strand cleavage.

Altered DNA-cleavage activity of topoisomerase II from WEHI-3B leukemia cells with specific resistance to ciprofloxacin

In order to investigate the mechanisms of drug resistance arising in tumor cells, we investigated the capacity of fluoroquinolones to inhibit the in vitro growth of WEHI-3B monomyelocytic leukemia cells and then we established a variant of this line (currently maintained in the absence of drug). The line, named WEHI-3B/CPX, expresses a specific resistance to ciprofloxacin (CPX; resistance index=17.3+/-2.2), and does not show cross-resistance with other fluoroquinolones, camptothecin and topoisomerase II inhibitors such as doxorubicin, etoposide and teniposide. Although a little decrease in intracellular accumulation of CPX is observed in WEHI-3B/CPX cells, these cells do not express MDR or LRP markers, and the resistance is not circumvented by verapamil. Purified nuclear extracts from WEHI-3B and WEHI-3B/CPX cells were tested for topoisomerase I catalytic activity and checking in vitro topoisomerase I sensitivity to CPX and camptothecin inhibition, but no difference was observed. As the treatment with CPX showed that the resistant cell line suffers a significantly lower number of breaks in the DNA molecule we also addressed our investigations to the topoisomerase II-dependent DNA cleavage that, in the resistant clone, was found dramatically less susceptible to be enhanced by CPX both in pre-strand and post-strand DNA passage conditions. WEHI-3B/CPX cells do not express any character of multidrug resistance and represent a rare case of specific drug resistance to CPX. The specific resistance to CPX observed in these cells is related to a functional decrease of topoisomerase II cleavage activity. It could be consequent to a decreased binding affinity of CPX for the topoisomerase II--DNA complex or to a decreased affinity or specificity of topoisomerase II for its DNA cleavage sites.

Pharmacological basis for cladribine resistance in a human acute T lymphoblastic leukaemia cell line selected for resistance to etoposide

Cross-resistance between different classes of anti-neoplastic agents can jeopardize successful combination cancer chemotherapy. In this study, we observed an unexpected cross-resistance between the podophyllotoxine derivative etoposide (VP) and the nucleoside analogue cladribine (CdA) in CCRF-CEM cells developed for resistance to VP. The resistant cells also displayed 14- and twofold resistance to cytarabine (ara-C) and gemcitabine respectively. Closer analysis of these cells showed that they contained lower amounts of topoisomerase (topo) IIalpha (P < 0.001) and beta protein (P < 0.026), formed substantially lower amounts of the topo II-DNA complex, and had a markedly decreased level of Fas (CD95/APO-1)-ligand mRNA expression. Interestingly, Fas expression in the resistant cells did not differ from that in the parental cell line. No differences were observed in the accumulation/efflux of daunorubicin or in the gene expressions of P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-associated protein and the lung resistance-related protein. The activity of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), responsible for activation of CdA and ara-C, was the same for resistant and wild-type cells. However, there was an increase in the activity of the cytosolic 5'-nucleotidases (5'-NT), responsible for deactivation of nucleotides, amounting to 206% (P < 0.001) for the high Km and 134% (P < 0.331) for the low Km 5'-NT in resistant cells. The high Km 5'-NT is probably responsible for the decreased amount of the active metabolite CdA 5'-triphosphate [40% decreased (P < 0.045)], as well as for other purine ribonucleosides and deoxyribonucleosides triphosphates in the resistant cells. In contrast, a significantly higher deoxycytidine triphosphate (dCTP) level (167%, P < 0.001) was observed in the resistant cells. Thus, this study suggests that the major cause of resistance to the nucleoside analogues CdA and ara-C in cells selected for resistance to VP is a result of metabolic alterations producing increased activity of 5'-NT and higher dCTP levels. Furthermore, these results indicate that there is a common factor in the regulation of nucleotide-degrading enzymes and DNA topoisomerases, which may be altered in cross-resistant cells.

Different susceptibilities of postmitotic checkpoint-proficient and -deficient Balb / 3T3 cells to ICRF-193, a catalytic inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase II

Two distinct types of Balb / 3T3 cells were isolated which exhibit either 4 N DNA or both 4 N and 8 N DNA after exposure to colcemid for 48 h. They were found to differ with respect to the postmitotic checkpoint, but not the mitotic checkpoint. Firstly, the checkpoint-proficient and -deficient cells exhibited the same accumulation and subsequent decrease in the number of mitotic cells following exposure to microtubule inhibitors. Secondly, after exit from abnormal mitosis in the presence of ICRF (Imperial Cancer Research Fund)-193, the checkpoint-proficient cells were arrested in the next cycle G1, while the checkpoint-deficient cells progressed into S and G2 phase. When either mitotic or asynchronous cells were exposed to ICRF-193, the checkpoint-proficient cells proved more sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of this agent than the checkpoint-deficient cells. The different susceptibilities of the two types of cells to ICRF-193 were not caused by variation in topoisomerase (topo) II function since both the biochemical activity of this enzyme and chromosome segregation were inhibited by similar concentrations of ICRF-193 in both checkpoint-proficient and -deficient cells. We propose that the inhibition of chromosome segregation by ICRF-193 is monitored by the next G1 checkpoint, resulting in an irreversible G1 block in the case of postmitotic checkpoint-proficient cells. As the checkpoint-deficient cells can escape this G1 block, these cells have an increased survival capacity. In summary, ICRF-193 may prove to be a very useful drug for examination of the postmitotic checkpoint.

Role of an inverted CCAAT element in human topoisomerase IIalpha gene expression in ICRF-187-sensitive and -resistant CEM leukemic cells

DNA topoisomerase (topo) IIalpha gene expression or activity is altered in tumor cells selected for resistance to inhibitors of topoII. To better understand the mechanisms by which topoIIalpha expression levels are modulated, we examined topoIIalpha transcriptional regulation in ICRF-187-sensitive and ICRF-187-resistant human leukemic cell lines that express an increased amount of topoIIalpha protein and mRNA. Transient transfections of luciferase reporter plasmids containing either the full-length human topoIIalpha promoter or fragments of it revealed that topoIIalpha transcriptional activity was significantly increased in the drug-resistant CEM/ICRF-8 cells, compared with CEM cells. Specifically, the transcriptional activity of the full-length topoIIalpha promoter (nucleotides -557 to +90) was doubled in CEM/ICRF-8 compared with CEM cells. Serial deletion of the topoIIalpha promoter permitted localization of the region responsible for its up-regulation in the drug-resistant cells between nucleotides -557 and -162, which includes the last three inverted CCAAT elements (ICE) 3 to 5. Note that construction of a point mutation in ICE3 resulted in a significant increase in transcriptional activity of the topoIIalpha promoter in the drug-sensitive CEM cells. In addition, by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, ICE3 was recognized by a protein complex containing NF-YB that was present at reduced levels in the topoIIalpha-overexpressing CEM/ICRF-8 extracts, suggesting that ICE3 plays a negative regulatory role in human topoIIalpha gene expression. This is the first study to show that topoIIalpha transcriptional up-regulation in ICRF-187-resistant cells is mediated in part by altered regulation of the third inverted CCAAT box in the topoIIalpha promoter.

Topoisomerase II as a target for anticancer drugs: when enzymes stop being nice

Topoisomerase II is an essential enzyme that plays a role in virtually every cellular DNA process. This enzyme interconverts different topological forms of DNA by passing one nucleic acid segment through a transient double-stranded break generated in a second segment. By virtue of its double-stranded DNA passage reaction, topoisomerase II is able to regulate DNA over- and underwinding, and can resolve knots and tangles in the genetic material. Beyond the critical physiological functions of the eukaryotic enzyme, topoisomerase II is the target for some of the most successful anticancer drugs used to treat human malignancies. These agents are referred to as topoisomerase II poisons, because they transform the enzyme into a potent cellular toxin. Topoisomerase II poisons act by increasing the concentration of covalent enzyme-cleaved DNA complexes that normally are fleeting intermediates in the catalytic cycle of topoisomerase II. As a result of their action, these drugs generate high levels of enzyme-mediated breaks in the genetic material of treated cells and ultimately trigger cell death pathways. Topoisomerase II is also the target for a second category of drugs referred to as catalytic inhibitors. Compounds in this category prevent topoisomerase II from carrying out its required physiological functions. Drugs from both categories vary widely in their mechanisms of actions. This review focuses on topoisomerase II function and how drugs alter the catalytic cycle of this important enzyme.

Glucose-regulated stresses cause degradation of DNA topoisomerase IIalpha by inducing nuclear proteasome during G1 cell cycle arrest in cancer cells

The glucose-regulated stress response of cancer cells leads to a decreased expression of DNA topoisomerase IIalpha (topo IIalpha) and a cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. In this study, we found that the topo IIalpha decrease occurred specifically during the G1 arrest in human colon adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells. The intracelluar level of topo IIalpha in HT-29 cells was relatively constant regardless of cell cycle position in the exponentially growing state, determined using a centrifugal elutriation technique and synchronizing the cells with a mitotic inhibitor nocodazole. Interestingly, when the cell cycle was arrested in the M phase by nocodazole, the topo IIalpha level remained high even in stressed cells. After the stressed cells were released from the M phase, topo IIalpha steeply decreased along with cell cycle progression followed by the next G1 arrest. This decrease in nuclear topo IIalpha protein was completely inhibited by selective inhibitors for proteasome. Furthermore, we found that proteasome activity was elevated three to fourfold in the nuclear extract of stressed cells over unstressed cells. Accordingly, there were increased amounts of nuclear proteasome subunits, although total intracellular content of the subunits did not change in stressed cells. These findings indicate that the expression of topo IIalpha in stressed cells is downregulated at the G1 phase by proteasome-mediated degradation and that the proteolysis of topo IIalpha can be facilitated by the nuclear accumulation of proteasome.

Mutation of a conserved serine residue in a quinolone-resistant type II topoisomerase alters the enzyme-DNA and drug interactions

A Ser740 --> Trp mutation in yeast topoisomerase II (top2) and of the equivalent Ser83 in gyrase results in resistance to quinolones and confers hypersensitivity to etoposide (VP-16). We characterized the cleavage complexes induced by the top2(S740W) in the human c-myc gene. In addition to resistance to the fluoroquinolone CP-115,953, top2(S740W) induced novel DNA cleavage sites in the presence of VP-16, azatoxin, amsacrine, and mitoxantrone. Analysis of the VP-16 sites indicated that the changes in the cleavage pattern were reflected by alterations in base preference. C at position -2 and G at position +6 were observed for the top2(S740W) in addition to the previously reported C-1 and G+5 for the wild-type top2. The VP-16-induced top2(S740W) cleavage complexes were also more stable. The most stable sites had strong preference for C-1, whereas the most reversible sites showed no base preference at positions -1 or -2. Different patterns of DNA cleavage were also observed in the absence of drug and in the presence of calcium. These results indicate that the Ser740 --> Trp mutation alters the DNA recognition of top2, enhances its DNA binding, and markedly affects its interactions with inhibitors. Thus, residue 740 of top2 appears critical for both DNA and drug interactions.

Clinical applications of anticancer drugs targeted to topoisomerase II

Agents which 'poison' the enzyme topoisomerase II, have proven to be useful drugs for cancer treatment. Six antineoplastic drugs, which target topoisomerase II (doxorubicin, daunorubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone, etoposide and teniposide) are currently approved for clinical use in the United States. In this paper, the strategies and goals of cancer chemotherapy are summarized for the non-clinician. The use, pharmacology and toxicity of each of the six currently approved topoisomerase II inhibiting agents are reviewed.

Bacteriophage T4, a model system for understanding the mechanism of type II topoisomerase inhibitors

Bacteriophage T4 provides a simple model system for analyzing the mechanism of action of antitumor agents that inhibit DNA topoisomerases. The phage-encoded type II topoisomerase is sensitive to many of the same antitumor agents that inhibit mammalian type II topoisomerase, including m-AMSA, ellipticines, mitoxantrone and epipodophyllotoxins. Results from the T4 model system provided a convincing demonstration that topoisomerase is the physiological drug target and strong evidence that the drug-induced cleavage complex is important for cytotoxicity. The detailed molecular steps involved in cytotoxicity, and the mechanism of recombinational repair of inhibitor-induced DNA damage, are currently being analyzed using this model system. Studies with the T4 topoisomerase have also provided compelling evidence that topoisomerase inhibitors interact with DNA at the active site of the enzyme, with each class of inhibitor favoring a different subset of cleavage sites based on DNA sequence. Finally, analysis of drug-resistance mutations in the T4 topoisomerase have implicated certain regions of the protein in drug interaction and provided a strong link between the mechanism of action of the antibacterial quinolones, which inhibit DNA gyrase, and the various antitumor agents, which inhibit mammalian type II topoisomerase.

Topoisomerase II and the response to antileukemic therapy

A number of recent studies have investigated the expression of topoisomerase II in clinical leukemia specimens. Here we outline the rationale for these studies, identify potential pitfalls, summarize recent results, and discuss unanswered questions in this area.

Drug resistance to topoisomerase II inhibitors

We describe in this review the mechanisms of resistance to topoisomerase II inhibitors that have been identified in cell lines rendered resistant to drugs. They concern especially both quantitative and qualitative alterations of topoisomerase II, leading to drug insensitivity of the cells. Expression and activity of topoisomerase II have also been studied in a number of tumor specimens originating from patients, but the role of topoisomerase II alterations in drug resistance in the clinical setting has not yet been firmly established. It would be worthwhile, however, to develop predictive assays for drug activity in human cancers, based upon the topoisomerase II status of tumor samples.

Treatment of advanced colorectal cancer with doxorubicin combined with two potential multidrug-resistance-reversing agents: high-dose oral tamoxifen and dexverapamil

On the basis of the overexpression of the MDR1 gene in human colorectal cancer, which may constitute a molecular basis for intrinsic drug resistance that can be reversed, and because of the limited therapeutic value of conventional cytotoxic treatment in this common disease, the present phase II study of P-glycoprotein-directed double modulation was initiated. Fifteen patients with measurable metastatic colorectal cancer, all of whom were refractory to first-line chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil/leukovorin, were entered in this trial. Treatment consisted of 80 mg tamoxifen twice daily on days 1-9, oral dexverapamil every day on days 7-9, and 60 mg/m2 doxorubicin given by intravenous bolus injection on day 8. Courses were repeated every 4 weeks. After a median of three (between one and six) courses, none of the 14 evaluable patients had objective response, and 4 had stable disease. Adverse reactions consisted mainly of myelosuppression (WHO grade IV granulocytopenia was noted in 40%), and mild and reversible dexverapamil-related cardiovascular side-effects, specifically hypotension (47%). Our results suggest that, despite the histological demonstration of high levels of P-glycoprotein in colorectal cancer and administration of two potentially synergistic chemosensitizers, we were unsuccessful in circumventing its primary resistance to chemotherapy.

Interaction of the DNA topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitor meso-2,3-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazine-1-yl)butane (ICRF-193), a bisdioxopiperazine derivative, with the conserved region(s) of eukaryotic but not prokaryotic enzyme

ICRF-193 [meso-2,3-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazine-1-yl)butane], a bisdioxopiperazine compound, has been shown to be a catalytic inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase II by stabilizing the enzyme in the form of a closed "protein clamp," an intermediate form in the catalytic cycle (Roca et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91: 1781-1785, 1994). In view of its usefulness as a probe in the functional analysis of the enzyme, we tried further to define the domain(s) of the enzyme interacting with the drug by examining its inhibitory activity on type II topoisomerases from various species of eukaryotes and prokaryotes. ICRF-193 inhibited the enzyme from yeast, fly, frog, plant, and mammals at IC50 values in the range of 1-13 microM. Experiments using fission yeast truncated mutant type II enzyme lacking both amino-terminal 74 amino acids and carboxy-terminal 265 amino acids revealed that ICRF-193 interacts with the 125 kDa "core" polypeptide of the enzyme. In contrast, prokaryotic type II enzymes, Escherichia coli DNA gyrase, topo IV, and phage T4 topo, were not affected by the drug. From these results, the domain(s) common to eukaryotic but not to prokaryotic type II enzymes interacting with ICRF-193 was speculated.

Characterization of a Chinese hamster ovary cell line with acquired resistance to the bisdioxopiperazine dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) catalytic inhibitor of topoisomerase II

A Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line highly resistant to the non-cleavable complex-forming topoisomerase II inhibitor dexrazoxane (ICRF-187, Zinecard) was selected. The resistant cell line (DZR) was 1500-fold resistant (IC50 = 2800 vs 1.8 microM) to continuous dexrazoxane exposure. DZR cells were also cross-resistant (8- to 500-fold) to other bisdioxopiperazines (ICRF-193, ICRF-154, and ICRF-186), and somewhat cross-resistant (4- to 14-fold) to anthracyclines (daunorubicin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, and idarubicin) and etoposide (8.5-fold), but not to the other non-cleavable complex-forming topoisomerase II inhibitors suramin and merbarone. The cytotoxicity of dexrazoxane to both cell lines was unchanged in the presence of the membrane-active agent verapamil. DZR cells were 9-fold resistant to dexrazoxane-mediated inhibition of topoisomerase II DNA decatenation activity compared with CHO cells (IC50 = 400 vs 45 microM), but were only 1.4-fold (IC50 = 110 vs 83 microM) resistant to etoposide. DZR cells contained one-half the level of topoisomerase II protein compared with parental CHO cells. However, the specific activity for decatenation using nuclear extract topoisomerase II was unchanged. Etoposide (100 microM)-induced topoisomerase II-DNA complexes in DZR cells and isolated nuclei were similarly one-half the level found in CHO cells and in isolated nuclei. However, the ability of 500 microM dexrazoxane to inhibit etoposide (100 microM)-induced topoisomerase II-DNA covalent complexes was reduced 4- to 6-fold in both DZR cells and nuclei compared with CHO cells and nuclei. In contrast, there was no differential ability of aclarubicin or merbarone to inhibit etoposide-induced topoisomerase II-DNA complexes in CHO compared with DZR cells and isolated nuclei. It was concluded that the DZR cell line acquired its resistance to dexrazoxane mainly through an alteration in the topoisomerase II target.

Relationship between the inhibition of azidopine binding to P-glycoprotein by MDR modulators and their efficiency in restoring doxorubicin intracellular accumulation

Using three different cell lines exhibiting the MDR phenotype, we have studied the ability of eight different modulators to restore doxorubicin intracellular accumulation and to inhibit azidopine binding to membrane extracts. One cell line was of human origin (KB VI) and two of murine origin, overexpressing two different isoforms of the mdrl gene (C6 IV and C6 0.5). The modulators were distributed in different drug classes: cyclosporine A and PSC-833, quinine and quinidine, nifedipine and nicardipine, and verapamil and S-9788. We observed that there was no strict parallelism between restoration of doxorubicin intracellular accumulation and inhibition of azidopine binding. However, when considering separately each group of drugs, it appeared that the most potent drug in inhibiting azidopine labelling of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was also the most potent in restoring doxorubicin accumulation. This indicates that azidopine binding cannot be used as a general screening test for the identification of new modulators, but rather at the level of the selection of potent analogues within a chemical family. The three cell lines behaved similarly, indicating that the structural diversity of P-pgs did not influence the efficiency and binding of modulators.

Differential expression of DNA topoisomerase II alpha and -beta in P-gp and MRP-negative VM26, mAMSA and mitoxantrone-resistant sublines of the human SCLC cell line GLC4

Sublines of the human small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cell line GLC4 with acquired resistance to teniposide, amsacrine and mitoxantrone (GLC4/VM20x, GLC4/AM3x and GLC4/MIT60x, respectively) were derived to study the contribution of DNA topoisomerase II alpha and -beta (TopoII alpha and -beta) to resistance for TopoII-targeting drugs. The cell lines did not overexpress P-glycoprotein or the multidrug resistance-associated protein but were cross-resistant to other TopoII drugs. GLC4/VM20x showed a major decrease in TopoII alpha protein (54%; for all assays presented in this paper the GLC4 level was defined to be 100%) without reduction in TopoII beta protein; GLC4/AM3x showed only a major decrease in TopoII beta protein (to 18%) and not in TopoII alpha. In GLC4/MIT60x, the TopoII alpha and -beta protein levels were both decreased (TopoII alpha to 31%; TopoII beta protein was undetectable). The decrease in TopoII alpha protein in GLC4/VM20x and GLC4/MIT60x, was mediated by decreased TopoII alpha mRNA levels. Loss of TopoII alpha gene copies contributed to the mRNA decrease in these cell lines. Only in the GLC4/MIT60x cell line was an accumulation defect observed for the drug against which the cell line was made resistant. In conclusion, TopoII alpha and -beta levels were decreased differentially in the resistant cell lines, suggesting that resistance to these drugs may be mediated by a decrease in a specific isozyme.

Increased drug affinity as the mechanistic basis for drug hypersensitivity of a mutant type II topoisomerase

Altered sensitivity of topoisomerase II to anticancer drugs profoundly affects the response of eukaryotic cells to these agents. Therefore, several approaches were employed to elucidate the mechanism of drug hypersensitivity of the mutant yeast type II topoisomerase, top2H1012Y. This mutant, which is approximately 5-fold hypersensitive to ellipticine, formed DNA cleavage complexes more rapidly than the wild-type yeast enzyme in the presence of the drug. Conversely, no change in the rate of DNA religation was observed. There was, however, a correlation between increased cleavage rates and enhanced drug binding affinity. The apparent dissociation constant for ellipticine in the mutant topoisomerase II.drug.DNA ternary complex was approximately 5-fold lower than in the wild-type ternary complex. Furthermore, the apparent KD value for the mutant binary (topoisomerase II.drug) complex was approximately 2-fold lower than the corresponding wild-type complex, indicating that drug hypersensitivity is intrinsic to the enzyme. These findings strongly suggest that the enhanced ellipticine binding affinity for topoisomerase II is the mechanistic basis for drug hypersensitivity of top2H1012Y.