Distinct pose of discodermolide in taxol binding pocket drives a complementary mode of microtubule stabilization

Physical and functional interaction sites in cytoplasmic domains of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 channel subunits

The cardiac potassium I_Ks current is carried by a channel complex formed from α-subunits encoded by KCNQ1 and β-subunits encoded by KCNE1. Deleterious mutations in either gene are associated with hereditary long QT syndrome. Interactions between the transmembrane domains of the α- and β-subunits determine the activation kinetics of I_Ks. A physical and functional interaction between COOH termini of the proteins has also been identified that impacts deactivation rate and voltage dependence of activation. We sought to explore the specific physical interactions between the COOH termini of the subunits that confer such control. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry narrowed down the region of interaction to KCNQ1 residues 352-374 and KCNE1 residues 70-81, and provided evidence of secondary structure within these segments. Key mutations of residues in these regions tended to shift voltage dependence of activation toward more depolarizing voltages. Double-mutant cycle analysis then revealed energetic coupling between KCNQ1-I368 and KCNE1-D76 during channel activation. Our results suggest that the proximal COOH-terminal regions of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 participate in a physical and functional interaction during channel opening that is sensitive to perturbation and may explain the clustering of long QT mutations in the region.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Interacting ion channel subunits KCNQ1 and KCNE1 have received intense investigation due to their critical importance to human cardiovascular health. This work uses physical (hydrogen/deuterium exchange with mass spectrometry) and functional (double-mutant cycle analyses) studies to elucidate precise and important areas of interaction between the two proteins in an area that has eluded structural definition of the complex. It highlights the importance of pathogenic mutations in these regions.

Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Changes in Cytoskeleton

Despite the different antineoplastic mechanisms of action, peripheral neurotoxicity induced by all chemotherapy drugs (anti-tubulin agents, platinum compounds, proteasome inhibitors, thalidomide) is associated with neuron morphological changes ascribable to cytoskeleton modifications. The "dying back" degeneration of distal terminals (sensory nerves) of dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons, observed in animal models, in in vitro cultures and biopsies of patients is the most evident hallmark of the perturbation of the cytoskeleton. On the other hand, in highly polarized cells like neurons, the cytoskeleton carries out its role not only in axons but also has a fundamental role in dendrite plasticity and in the organization of soma. In the literature, there are many studies focused on the antineoplastic-induced alteration of microtubule organization (and consequently, fast axonal transport defects) while very few studies have investigated the effect of the different classes of drugs on microfilaments, intermediate filaments and associated proteins. Therefore, in this review, we will focus on: (1) Highlighting the fundamental role of the crosstalk among the three filamentous subsystems and (2) investigating pivotal cytoskeleton-associated proteins.

Repositioning Microtubule Stabilizing Drugs for Brain Disorders

Microtubule stabilizing agents are among the most clinically useful chemotherapeutic drugs. Mostly, they act to stabilize microtubules and inhibit cell division. While not without side effects, new generations of these compounds display improved pharmacokinetic properties and brain penetrance. Neurological disorders are intrinsically associated with microtubule defects, and efforts to reposition microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of neurodegenerative and psychiatric illnesses are underway. Here we catalog microtubule regulators that are associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, schizophrenia and mood disorders. We outline the classes of microtubule stabilizing agents used for cancer treatment, their brain penetrance properties and neuropathy side effects, and describe efforts to apply these agents for treatment of brain disorders. Finally, we summarize the current state of clinical trials for microtubule stabilizing agents under evaluation for central nervous system disorders.

Anaphase Chromosomes in Crane-Fly Spermatocytes Treated With Taxol (Paclitaxel) Accelerate When Their Kinetochore Microtubules Are Cut: Evidence for Spindle Matrix Involvement With Spindle Forces

Various experiments have indicated that anaphase chromosomes continue to move after their kinetochore microtubules are severed. The chromosomes move poleward at an accelerated rate after the microtubules are cut but they slow down 1-3 min later and move poleward at near the original speed. There are two published interpretations of chromosome movements with severed kinetochore microtubules. One interpretation is that dynein relocates to the severed microtubule ends and propels them poleward by pushing against non-kinetochore microtubules. The other interpretation is that components of a putative "spindle matrix" normally push kinetochore microtubules poleward and continue to do so after the microtubules are severed from the pole. In this study we distinguish between these interpretations by treating cells with taxol. Taxol eliminates microtubule dynamics, alters spindle microtubule arrangements, and inhibits dynein motor activity in vivo. If the dynein interpretation is correct, taxol should interfere with chromosome movements after kinetochore microtubules are severed because it alters the arrangements of spindle microtubules and because it blocks dynein activity. If the "spindle matrix" interpretation is correct, on the other hand, taxol should not interfere with the accelerated movements. Our results support the spindle matrix interpretation: anaphase chromosomes in taxol-treated crane-fly spermatocytes accelerated after their kinetochore microtubules were severed.

Marine Invertebrate Natural Products that Target Microtubules

Marine natural products as secondary metabolites are a potential major source of new drugs for treating disease. In some cases, cytotoxic marine metabolites target the microtubules of the eukaryote cytoskeleton for reasons that will be discussed. This review covers the microtubule-targeting agents reported from sponges, corals, tunicates, and molluscs and the evidence that many of these secondary metabolites are produced by bacterial symbionts. The review finishes by discussing the directions for future development and production of clinically relevant amounts of these natural products and their analogues through aquaculture, chemical synthesis, and biosynthesis by bacterial symbionts.

Improved Dose-Response Relationship of (+)-Discodermolide-Taxol Hybrid Congeners

(+)-Discodermolide is a microtubule-stabilizing agent with potential for the treatment of taxol-refractory malignancies. (+)-Discodermolide congeners containing the C-3'-phenyl side chain of taxol (paclitaxel) were synthesized based on computational docking models predicting this moiety would fill an aromatic pocket of β-tubulin insufficiently occupied by (+)-discodermolide, thereby conferring improved ligand-target interaction. It was recently demonstrated, however, that the C-3'-phenyl side chain occupied a different space, instead extending toward the M-loop of β-tubulin, where it induced a helical conformation, hypothesized to improve lateral contacts between adjacent microtubule protofilaments. This insight led us to evaluate the biological activity of hybrid congeners using a panel of genetically diverse cancer cell lines. Hybrid molecules retained the same tubulin-polymerizing profile as (+)-discodermolide. Since (+)-discodermolide is a potent inducer of accelerated senescence, a fate that contributes to drug resistance, congeners were also screened for senescence induction. Flow cytometric and transcriptional analysis revealed that the hybrids largely retained the senescence-inducing properties of (+)-discodermolide. In taxol-sensitive cell models, the congeners had improved dose-response parameters relative to (+)-discodermolide and, in some cases, were superior to taxol. However, in cells susceptible to senescence, E_Max increased without concomitant improvements in EC₅₀ such that overall dose-response profiles resembled that of (+)-discodermolide.

Taxol®: The First Microtubule Stabilizing Agent

Taxol^®, an antitumor drug with significant activity, is the first microtubule stabilizing agent described in the literature. This short review of the mechanism of action of Taxol^® emphasizes the research done in the Horwitz’ laboratory. It discusses the contribution of photoaffinity labeled analogues of Taxol^® toward our understanding of the binding site of the drug on the microtubule. The importance of hydrogen/deuterium exchange experiments to further our insights into the stabilization of microtubules by Taxol^® is addressed. The development of drug resistance, a major problem that arises in the clinic, is discussed. Studies describing differential drug binding to distinct β-tubulin isotypes are presented. Looking forward, it is suggested that the β-tubulin isotype content of a tumor may influence its responses to Taxol^®.

Zampanolide, a Microtubule-Stabilizing Agent, Is Active in Resistant Cancer Cells and Inhibits Cell Migration

Zampanolide, first discovered in a sponge extract in 1996 and later identified as a microtubule-stabilizing agent in 2009, is a covalent binding secondary metabolite with potent, low nanomolar activity in mammalian cells. Zampanolide was not susceptible to single amino acid mutations at the taxoid site of β-tubulin in human ovarian cancer 1A9 cells, despite evidence that it selectively binds to the taxoid site. As expected, it did not synergize with other taxoid site microtubule-stabilizing agents (paclitaxel, ixabepilone, discodermolide), but surprisingly also did not synergize in 1A9 cells with laulimalide/peloruside binding site agents either. Efforts to generate a zampanolide-resistant cell line were unsuccessful. Using a standard wound scratch assay in cell culture, it was an effective inhibitor of migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and fibroblast cells (D551). These properties of covalent binding, the ability to inhibit cell growth in paclitaxel and epothilone resistant cells, and the ability to inhibit cell migration suggest that it would be of interest to investigate zampanolide in preclinical animal models to determine if it is effective in vivo at preventing tumor growth and metastasis.

Structural Basis of Microtubule Stabilization by Discodermolide

Microtubule-stabilizing agents (MSAs) are widely used in chemotherapy. Using X-ray crystallography we elucidated the detailed binding modes of two potent MSAs, (+)-discodermolide (DDM) and the DDM-paclitaxel hybrid KS-1-199-32, in the taxane pocket of β-tubulin. The two compounds bind in a very similar hairpin conformation, as previously observed in solution. However, they stabilize the M-loop of β-tubulin differently: KS-1-199-32 induces an M-loop helical conformation that is not observed for DDM. In the context of the microtubule structure, both MSAs connect the β-tubulin helices H6 and H7 and loop S9-S10 with the M-loop. This is similar to the structural effects elicited by epothilone A, but distinct from paclitaxel. Together, our data reveal differential binding mechanisms of DDM and KS-1-199-32 on tubulin.

2-(m-Azidobenzoyl)taxol binds differentially to distinct β-tubulin isotypes

There are seven β-tubulin isotypes present in distinct quantities in mammalian cells of different origin. Altered expression of β-tubulin isotypes has been reported in cancer cell lines resistant to microtubule stabilizing agents (MSAs) and in human tumors resistant to Taxol. To study the relative binding affinities of MSAs, tubulin from different sources, with distinct β-tubulin isotype content, were specifically photolabeled with a tritium-labeled Taxol analog, 2-(m-azidobenzoyl)taxol, alone or in the presence of MSAs. The inhibitory effects elicited by these MSAs on photolabeling were distinct for β-tubulin from different sources. To determine the exact amount of drug that binds to different β-tubulin isotypes, bovine brain tubulin was photolabeled and the isotypes resolved by high-resolution isoelectrofocusing. All bands were analyzed by mass spectrometry following cyanogen bromide digestion, and the identity and relative quantity of each β-tubulin isotype determined. It was found that compared with other β-tubulin isotypes, βIII-tubulin bound the least amount of 2-(m-azidobenzoyl)taxol. Analysis of the sequences of β-tubulin near the Taxol binding site indicated that, in addition to the M-loop that is known to be involved in drug binding, the leucine cluster region of βIII-tubulin contains a unique residue, alanine, at 218, compared with other isotypes that contain threonine. Molecular dynamic simulations indicated that the frequency of Taxol-accommodating conformations decreased dramatically in the T218A variant, compared with other β-tubulins. Our results indicate that the difference in residue 218 in βIII-tubulin may be responsible for inhibition of drug binding to this isotype, which could influence downstream cellular events.

Microtubule-stabilizing agents: New drug discovery and cancer therapy

Microtubule-stabilizing agents (MSAs) have been highly successful in the treatment of cancer in the past 20years. To date, three classes of MSAs have entered the clinical trial stage or have been approved for clinical anticancer chemotherapy, and more than 10 classes of novel structural MSAs have been derived from natural resources. The microtubule typically contains two MSA-binding sites: the taxoid site and the laulimalide/peloruside site. All defined MSAs are known to bind at either of these sites, with subtle but significant differences. MSAs with different binding sites may produce a synergistic effect. Although having been extensively applied in the clinical setting, paclitaxel and other approved MSAs still pose many challenges such as multidrug resistance, low bioavailability, poor solubility, high toxicity, and low passage through the blood-brain barrier. A variety of studies focus on the structure-activity relationship in order to improve the pharmaceutical properties of these agents. Here, the mechanisms of action, advancements in pharmacological research, and clinical developments of defined MSAs during the past decade are discussed. The latest discovered MSAs are also briefly introduced in this review. The increasing number of natural MSAs indicates the potential discovery of more novel, natural MSAs with different structural bases, which will further promote the development of anticancer chemotherapy.

Apoptosis inducing lead compounds isolated from marine organisms of potential relevance in cancer treatment

Apoptosis is a critical defense mechanism against the formation and progression of cancer and exhibits distinct morphological and biochemical traits. Targeting apoptotic pathways becomes an intriguing strategy for the development of chemotherapeutic agents particularly if the process is selective to cancer cells. Marine natural products have become important sources in the discovery of antitumour drugs, especially when recent technological and methodological advances have increased the scope of investigations of marine organisms. A high number of individual compounds from diverse organisms have induced apoptosis in several tumour cell lines via a number of mechanisms. Here, we review the effects of selected marine natural products and their synthetic derivatives on apoptosis signalling pathways in association with their pharmacological properties. Providing an outlook into the future, we also examine the factors that contribute to new discoveries and the difficulties associated with translating marine-derived compounds into clinical trials.

Rational approaches, design strategies, structure activity relationship and mechanistic insights for anticancer hybrids

A Hybrid drug which comprises the incorporation of two drug pharmacophores in one single molecule are basically designed to interact with multiple targets or to amplify its effect through action on another bio target as one single molecule or to counterbalance the known side effects associated with the other hybrid part(.) The present review article offers a detailed account of the design strategies employed for the synthesis of anticancer agents via molecular hybridization techniques. Over the years, the researchers have employed this technique to discover some promising chemical architectures displaying significant anticancer profiles. Molecular hybridization as a tool has been particularly utilized for targeting tubulin protein as exemplified through the number of research papers. The microtubule inhibitors such as taxol, colchicine, chalcones, combretasatin, phenstatins and vinca alkaloids have been utilized as one of the functionality of the hybrids and promising results have been obtained in most of the cases with some of the tubulin based hybrids exhibiting anticancer activity at nanomolar level. Linkage with steroids as biological carrier vector for anticancer drugs and the inclusion of pyrrolo [2,1-c] [1,4]benzodiazepines (PBDs), a family of DNA interactive antitumor antibiotics derived from Streptomyces species in hybrid structure based drug design has also emerged as a potential strategy. Various heteroaryl based hybrids in particular isatin and coumarins have also been designed and reported to posses' remarkable inhibitory potential. Apart from presenting the design strategies, the article also highlights the structure activity relationship along with mechanistic insights revealed during the biological evaluation of the hybrids.

Recent progress with microtubule stabilizers: new compounds, binding modes and cellular activities

Nature has yielded numerous classes of chemically distinct microtubule stabilizers. Several of these, including paclitaxel (Taxol) and docetaxel (Taxotere), are important drugs used in the treatment of cancer. New microtubule stabilizers and novel formulations of these agents continue to provide advances in cancer therapy. In this review we cover recent progress in the chemistry and biology of these diverse microtubule stabilizers focusing on the wide range of organisms that produce these compounds, their mechanisms of inhibiting microtubule-dependent processes, mechanisms of drug resistance, and their interactions with tubulin including their distinct binding sites and modes. A new potential role for microtubule stabilizers in neurodegenerative diseases is reviewed.

A selective USP1-UAF1 inhibitor links deubiquitination to DNA damage responses

Protein ubiquitination and deubiquitination are central to the control of a large number of cellular pathways and signaling networks in eukaryotes. Although the essential roles of ubiquitination have been established in the eukaryotic DNA damage response, the deubiquitination process remains poorly defined. Chemical probes that perturb the activity of deubiquitinases (DUBs) are needed to characterize the cellular function of deubiquitination. Here we report ML323 (2), a highly potent inhibitor of the USP1-UAF1 deubiquitinase complex with excellent selectivity against human DUBs, deSUMOylase, deneddylase and unrelated proteases. Using ML323, we interrogated deubiquitination in the cellular response to UV- and cisplatin-induced DNA damage and revealed new insights into the requirement of deubiquitination in the DNA translesion synthesis and Fanconi anemia pathways. Moreover, ML323 potentiates cisplatin cytotoxicity in non-small cell lung cancer and osteosarcoma cells. Our findings point to USP1-UAF1 as a key regulator of the DNA damage response and a target for overcoming resistance to the platinum-based anticancer drugs.

Taccalonolide binding to tubulin imparts microtubule stability and potent in vivo activity

The taccalonolides are highly acetylated steroids that stabilize cellular microtubules and overcome multiple mechanisms of taxane resistance. Recently, two potent taccalonolides, AF and AJ, were identified that bind to tubulin directly and enhance microtubule polymerization. Extensive studies were conducted to characterize these new taccalonolides. AF and AJ caused aberrant mitotic spindles and bundling of interphase microtubules that differed from the effects of either paclitaxel or laulimalide. AJ also distinctly affected microtubule polymerization in that it enhanced the rate and extent of polymerization in the absence of any noticeable effect on microtubule nucleation. In addition, the resulting microtubules were found to be profoundly cold stable. These data, along with studies showing synergistic antiproliferative effects between AJ and either paclitaxel or laulimalide, suggest a distinct binding site. Direct binding studies demonstrated that AJ could not be displaced from microtubules by paclitaxel, laulimalide, or denaturing conditions, suggesting irreversible binding of AJ to microtubules. Mass spectrometry confirmed a covalent interaction of AJ with a peptide of β-tubulin containing the cyclostreptin-binding sites. Importantly, AJ imparts strong inter-protofilament stability in a manner different from other microtubule stabilizers that covalently bind to tubulin, consistent with the distinct effects of the taccalonolides as compared with other stabilizers. AF was found to be a potent and effective antitumor agent that caused tumor regression in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft model. The antitumor efficacy of some taccalonolides, which stabilize microtubules in a manner different from other microtubule stabilizers, provides the impetus to explore the therapeutic potential of this site.

Effects of eribulin, vincristine, paclitaxel and ixabepilone on fast axonal transport and kinesin-1 driven microtubule gliding: implications for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a serious, painful and dose-limiting side effect of cancer drugs that target microtubules. The mechanisms underlying the neuronal damage are unknown, but may include disruption of fast axonal transport, an essential microtubule-based process that moves cellular components over long distances between neuronal cell bodies and nerve terminals. This idea is supported by the "dying back" pattern of degeneration observed in CIPN, and by the selective vulnerability of sensory neurons bearing the longest axonal projections. In this study, we test the hypothesis that microtubule-targeting drugs disrupt fast axonal transport using vesicle motility assays in isolated squid axoplasm and a cell-free microtubule gliding assay with defined components. We compare four clinically-used drugs, eribulin, vincristine, paclitaxel and ixabepilone. Of these, eribulin is associated with a relatively low incidence of severe neuropathy, while vincristine has a relatively high incidence. In vesicle motility assays, we found that all four drugs inhibited anterograde (conventional kinesin-dependent) fast axonal transport, with the potency being vincristine=ixabepilone>paclitaxel=eribulin. Interestingly, eribulin and paclitaxel did not inhibit retrograde (cytoplasmic dynein-dependent) fast axonal transport, in contrast to vincristine and ixabepilone. Similarly, vincristine and ixabepilone both exerted significant inhibitory effects in an in vitro microtubule gliding assay consisting of recombinant kinesin (kinesin-1) and microtubules composed of purified bovine brain tubulin, whereas paclitaxel and eribulin had negligible effects. Our results suggest that (i) inhibition of microtubule-based fast axonal transport may be a significant contributor to neurotoxicity induced by microtubule-targeting drugs, and (ii) that individual microtubule-targeting drugs affect fast axonal transport through different mechanisms.

Defining risks of taxane neuropathy: insights from randomized clinical trials

Sensory neuropathy is a common but difficult to quantify complication encountered during treatment of various cancers with taxane-containing regimens. Docetaxel, paclitaxel, and its nanoparticle albumin-bound formulation have been extensively studied in randomized clinical trials comparing various dose and schedules for the treatment of breast, lung, and ovarian cancers. This review highlights differences in extent of severe neuropathies encountered in such randomized trials and seeks to draw conclusions in terms of known pharmacologic factors that may lead to neuropathy. This basic knowledge provides an essential background for exploring pharmacogenomic differences among patients in relation to their susceptibility of developing severe manifestations. In addition, the differences highlighted may lead to greater insight into drug and basic host factors (such as age, sex, and ethnicity) contributing to axonal injury from taxanes.

Microtubule stabilizing agents as potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative tauopathies

The microtubule (MT) associated protein tau, which is highly expressed in the axons of neurons, is an endogenous MT-stabilizing agent that plays an important role in axonal transport. Loss of MT-stabilizing tau function, caused by misfolding, hyperphosphorylation, and sequestration of tau into insoluble aggregates, leads to axonal transport deficits with neuropathological consequences. Several in vitro and preclinical in vivo studies have shown that MT-stabilizing drugs can be utilized to compensate for the loss of tau function and to maintain/restore effective axonal transport. These findings indicate that MT-stabilizing compounds hold considerable promise for the treatment of Alzheimer disease and related tauopathies. The present article provides a synopsis of the key findings demonstrating the therapeutic potential of MT-stabilizing drugs in the context of neurodegenerative tauopathies, as well as an overview of the different classes of MT-stabilizing compounds.

Structural evidence for cooperative microtubule stabilization by Taxol and the endogenous dynamics regulator MAP4

Microtubules (MTs) composed of αβ-tubulin heterodimers are highly dynamic polymers, whose stability can be regulated by numerous endogenous and exogenous factors. Both the antimitotic drug Taxol and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) stabilize this dynamicity by binding to and altering the conformation of MTs. In the current study, amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) was used to examine the structural and dynamic properties of the MT complex with the microtubule binding domain of MAP4 (MTB-MAP4) in the presence and absence of Taxol. The changes in the HDX levels indicate that MTB-MAP4 may bind to both the outside and the luminal surfaces of the MTs and that Taxol reduces both of these interactions. The MTB-MAP4 binding induces conformational rearrangements of α- and β-tubulin that promote an overall stabilization of MTs. Paradoxically, despite Taxol's negative effects on MAP4 interactions with the MTs, its binding to the MTB-MAP4-MT complex further reduces the overall deuterium incorporation, suggesting that a more stable complex is formed in the presence of the drug.

What tubulin drugs tell us about microtubule structure and dynamics

A wide range of small molecules, including alkaloids, macrolides and peptides, bind to tubulin and disturb microtubule assembly dynamics. Some agents inhibit assembly, others inhibit disassembly. The binding sites of drugs that stabilize microtubules are discussed in relation to the properties of microtubule associated proteins. The activities of assembly inhibitors are discussed in relation to different nucleotide states of tubulin family protein structures.

Design and synthesis of (+)-discodermolide-paclitaxel hybrids leading to enhanced biological activity

Potential binding modes of (+)-discodermolide at the paclitaxel binding site of tubulin have been identified by computational studies based on earlier structural and SAR data. Examination of the prospective binding modes reveal that the aromatic pocket occupied by the paclitaxel side chain is unoccupied by (+)-discodermolide. Based on these findings, a small library of (+)-discodermolide-paclitaxel hybrids have been designed and synthesized. Biological evaluation reveals a two- to eight-fold increase in antiproliferative activity compared to the parent molecule using the A549 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a simplified fluorescently labeled discodermolide as a molecular probe to study the binding of discodermolide to tubulin

The design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a simplified fluorescently labeled discodermolide analogue possessing a dimethylaminobenzoyl fluorophore has been achieved. Stereoselective Suzuki coupling and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction comprised the key tactics for its construction. The analogue exhibited qualitatively similar activity to paclitaxel in a tubulin assembly assay, and it can thus be used as a fluorescent molecular probe to explore the local environment of the discodermolide binding site on tubulin. The results of fluorescence measurements on the tubulin-bound analogue are reported.

The Lithistida: important sources of compounds useful in biomedical research

Lithistid sponges have been an important source of structurally complex natural products with potent biological activities. Examples of compounds marketed as biological markers along with recent advances in defining the modes of action and biomedical potential of lithistid-derived compounds are presented.

Hallmarks of molecular action of microtubule stabilizing agents: effects of epothilone B, ixabepilone, peloruside A, and laulimalide on microtubule conformation

Microtubule stabilizing agents (MSAs) comprise a class of drugs that bind to microtubule (MT) polymers and stabilize them against disassembly. Several of these agents are currently in clinical use as anticancer drugs, whereas others are in various stages of development. Nonetheless, there is insufficient knowledge about the molecular modes of their action. Recent studies from our laboratory utilizing hydrogen-deuterium exchange in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) provide new information on the conformational effects of Taxol and discodermolide on microtubules isolated from chicken erythrocytes (CET). We report here a comprehensive analysis of the effects of epothilone B, ixabepilone (IXEMPRA(TM)), laulimalide, and peloruside A on CET conformation. The results of our comparative hydrogen-deuterium exchange MS studies indicate that all MSAs have significant conformational effects on the C-terminal H12 helix of α-tubulin, which is a likely molecular mechanism for the previously observed modulations of MT interactions with microtubule-associated and motor proteins. More importantly, the major mode of MT stabilization by MSAs is the tightening of the longitudinal interactions between two adjacent αβ-tubulin heterodimers at the interdimer interface. In contrast to previous observations reported with bovine brain tubulin, the lateral interactions between the adjacent protofilaments in CET are particularly strongly stabilized by peloruside A and laulimalide, drugs that bind outside the taxane site. This not only highlights the significance of tubulin isotype composition in modulating drug effects on MT conformation and stability but also provides a potential explanation for the synergy observed when combinations of taxane and alternative site binding drugs are used.

Synergistic interactions between peloruside A and other microtubule-stabilizing and destabilizing agents in cultured human ovarian carcinoma cells and murine T cells

PURPOSE

Microtubule-stabilizing agents are an important class of anticancer compounds. Peloruside A and laulimalide bind to a different site on the microtubule to taxoid site drugs such as paclitaxel (Taxol(®)), docetaxel (Taxotere(®)), ixabepilone (Ixempra(®)), the epothilones, and discodermolide. The purpose of this study was to examine the synergistic interactions of these drugs when given in combination in relation to the differences in their binding sites on the microtubule.

METHODS

Human ovarian carcinoma cells (1A9 cells) and murine T cells were treated with different combinations of microtubule-stabilizing or destabilizing agents. The compounds were given individually and in combination, and the antiproliferative activity was assessed to calculate a combination index (CI) from the equation: CI = D(1)/Dx(1) + D(2)/Dx(2) in which D(1) and D(2) are the concentrations of drug 1 and drug 2 that when given together give the same response as drug 1 and 2 alone (Dx(1) and Dx(2)). Thus, a CI value of less than 1.0 indicates a synergistic effect between the two drugs in which the response to the two drugs given together is greater than the additive response of the two drugs if given on their own.

RESULTS

As anticipated from previous in vitro studies, peloruside A and laulimalide did not synergize with each other. They also failed to synergize with the microtubule-destabilizing agents vinblastine and 2-methoxyestradiol. Peloruside A and laulimalide did, however, synergize with the epothilones, as had been previously shown, but not with docetaxel or discodermolide.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining two microtubule-targeting agents with different binding sites does not guarantee a synergistic interaction in cells, and additional factors are likely to be involved. This study highlights the importance of preclinical testing of actual combinations of drugs before proceeding into clinical trials.

Microtubule-stabilizing drugs from marine sponges: focus on peloruside A and zampanolide

Marine sponges are an excellent source of bioactive secondary metabolites with potential therapeutic value in the treatment of diseases. One group of compounds of particular interest is the microtubule-stabilizing agents, the most well-known compound of this group being paclitaxel (Taxol), an anti-cancer compound isolated from the bark and leaves of the Pacific yew tree. This review focuses on two of the more recent additions to this important class of drugs, peloruside A and zampanolide, both isolated from marine sponges. Peloruside A was isolated from Mycale hentscheli collected in New Zealand coastal waters, and it already shows promising anti-cancer activity. Two other potent bioactive compounds with different modes of action but isolated from the same sponge, mycalamide A and pateamine, will also be discussed. The fourth compound, zampanolide, most recently isolated from the Tongan sponge Cacospongia mycofijiensis, has only recently been added to the microtubule-stabilizing group of compounds, and further work is in progress to determine its activity profile relative to peloruside A and other drugs of this class.