A structural insight into the inhibition of human and Leishmania donovani ornithine decarboxylases by 1-amino-oxy-3-aminopropane

The critical role of polyamines in key processes such as cell growth, differentiation and macromolecular synthesis makes the enzymes involved in their synthesis potential targets in the treatment of certain types of cancer and parasitic diseases. Here we present a study on the inhibition of human and Leishmania donovani ODC (ornithine decarboxylase), the first committed enzyme in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway, by APA (1-amino-oxy-3-aminopropane). The present study shows APA to be a potent inhibitor of both human and L. donovani ODC with a K(i) value of around 1.0 nM. We also show that L. donovani ODC binds the substrate, the co-enzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and the irreversible inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (a curative agent of West African sleeping sickness) with less affinity than human ODC. We have also determined the three-dimensional structure of human ODC in complex with APA, which revealed the mode of the inhibitor binding to the enzyme. In contrast with earlier reports, the structure showed no indication of oxime formation between APA and PLP (pyridoxal 5'-phosphate). Homology modelling suggests a similar mode of binding of APA to L. donovani ODC. A comparison of the ODC-APA-PLP structure with earlier ODC structures also shows that the protease-sensitive loop (residues 158-168) undergoes a large conformational change and covers the active site of the protein. The understanding of the structural mode of APA binding may constitute the basis for the development of more specific inhibitors of L. donovani ODC.

Targeting the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes: a promising approach to therapy of African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, and leishmaniasis

Trypanosomatids depend on spermidine for growth and survival. Consequently, enzymes involved in spermidine synthesis and utilization, i.e. arginase, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), spermidine synthase, trypanothione synthetase (TryS), and trypanothione reductase (TryR), are promising targets for drug development. The ODC inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is about to become a first-line drug against human late-stage gambiense sleeping sickness. Another ODC inhibitor, 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane (APA), is considerably more effective than DFMO against Leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes multiplying in macrophages. AdoMetDC inhibitors can cure animals infected with isolates from patients with rhodesiense sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis, but have not been tested on humans. The antiparasitic effects of inhibitors of polyamine and trypanothione formation, reviewed here, emphasize the relevance of these enzymes as drug targets. By taking advantage of the differences in enzyme structure between parasite and host, it should be possible to design new drugs that can selectively kill the parasites.

Leishmania donovani polyamine biosynthetic enzyme overproducers as tools to investigate the mode of action of cytotoxic polyamine analogs

A number of anticancer and antiparasitic drugs are postulated to target the polyamine biosynthetic pathway and polyamine function, but the exact mode of action of these compounds is still being elucidated. To establish whether polyamine analogs specifically target enzymes of the polyamine pathway, a model was developed using strains of the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani that overproduce each of the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes. Promastigotes overexpressing episomal constructs encoding ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (ADOMETDC), or spermidine synthase (SPDSYN) revealed robust overproduction of the corresponding polyamine biosynthetic enzyme. Polyamine pools, however, were either unchanged or only marginally affected, implying that regulatory mechanisms must exist. The ODC, ADOMETDC, and SPDSYN overproducer strains exhibited a high level of resistance to difluoromethylornithine, 5'-{[(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino}-5'-deoxyadenosine, and n-butylamine, respectively, confirming previous observations that these agents specifically target polyamine enzymes. Conversely, augmented levels of polyamine biosynthetic enzymes did not affect the sensitivity of L. donovani promastigotes to pentamidine, berenil, and mitoguazone, drugs that were postulated to target the polyamine pathway, implying alternative and/or additional targets for these agents. The sensitivities of wild-type and overproducing parasites to a variety of polyamine analogs were also tested. The polyamine enzyme-overproducing lines offer a rapid cell-based screen for assessing whether synthetic polyamine analogs exert their mechanism of action predominantly on the polyamine biosynthetic pathway in L. donovani. Furthermore, the drug resistance engendered by the amplification of target genes and the overproduction of the encoded protein offers a general strategy for evaluating and developing therapeutic agents that target specific proteins in Leishmania.

Antileishmanial effect of 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane is due to polyamine depletion

The polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are organic cations that are required for cell growth and differentiation. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway, catalyzes the conversion of ornithine to putrescine. As the polyamine biosynthetic pathway is essential for the growth and survival of Leishmania donovani, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis, inhibition of the pathway is an important leishmaniacidal strategy. In the present study, we examined for the first time the effects of 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane (APA), an ODC inhibitor, on the growth of L. donovani. APA inhibited the growth of both promastigotes in vitro and amastigotes in the macrophage model, with the 50% inhibitory concentrations being 42 and 5 microM, respectively. However, concentrations of APA up to 200 microM did not affect the viability of macrophages. The effects of APA were completely abolished by the addition of putrescine or spermidine. APA induced a significant decrease in ODC activity and putrescine, spermidine, and trypanothione levels in L. donovani promastigotes. Parasites were transfected with an episomal ODC construct, and these ODC overexpressers exhibited significant resistance to APA and were concomitantly resistant to sodium antimony gluconate (Pentostam), indicating a role for ODC overexpression in antimonial drug resistance. Clinical isolates with sodium antimony gluconate resistance were also found to overexpress ODC and to have significant increases in putrescine and spermidine levels. However, no increase in trypanothione levels was observed. The ODC overexpression in these clinical isolates alleviated the antiproliferative effects of APA. Collectively, our results demonstrate that APA is a potent inhibitor of L. donovani growth and that its leishmaniacidal effect is due to inhibition of ODC.

Arginase plays a pivotal role in polyamine precursor metabolism in Leishmania. Characterization of gene deletion mutants

The polyamine pathway of protozoan parasites has been successfully targeted in anti-parasitic therapies and is significantly different from that of the mammalian host. To gain knowledge into the metabolic routes by which parasites synthesize polyamines and their precursors, the arginase gene was cloned from Leishmania mexicana, and Deltaarg null mutants were created by double targeted gene replacement and characterized. The ARG sequence exhibited significant homology to ARG proteins from other organisms and predicted a peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS-1) that steers proteins to the glycosome, an organelle unique to Leishmania and related parasites. ARG was subsequently demonstrated to be present in the glycosome, whereas the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes, in contrast, were shown to be cytosolic. The Deltaarg knockouts expressed no ARG activity, lacked an intracellular ornithine pool, and were auxotrophic for ornithine or polyamines. The ability of the Deltaarg null mutants to proliferate could be restored by pharmacological supplementation, either with low putrescine or high ornithine or spermidine concentrations, or by complementation with an arginase episome. Transfection of an arg construct lacking the PTS-1 directed the synthesis of an arg that mislocalized to the cytosol and notably also complemented the genetic lesion and restored polyamine prototrophy to the Deltaarg parasites. This molecular, biochemical, and genetic dissection of ARG function in L. mexicana promastigotes establishes: (i) that the enzyme is essential for parasite viability; (ii) that Leishmania, unlike mammalian cells, expresses only one ARG activity; (iii) that the sole vital function of ARG is to provide polyamine precursors for the parasite; and (iv) that ARG is present in the glycosome, but this subcellular milieu is not essential for its role in polyamine biosynthesis.

Polyamine biosynthetic enzymes as drug targets in parasitic protozoa

Molecular, biochemical and genetic characterization of ornithine decarboxylase, S -adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and spermidine synthase establishes that these polyamine-biosynthetic enzymes are essential for growth and survival of the agents that cause African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, leishmaniasis and malaria. These enzymes exhibit features that differ significantly between the parasites and the human host. Therefore it is conceivable that exploitation of such differences can lead to the design of new inhibitors that will selectively kill the parasites while exerting minimal, or at least tolerable, effects on the parasite-infected patient.

S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase from Leishmania donovani. Molecular, genetic, and biochemical characterization of null mutants and overproducers

The polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (ADOMETDC) has been advanced as a potential target for antiparasitic chemotherapy. To investigate the importance of this protein in a model parasite, the gene encoding ADOMETDC has been cloned and sequenced from Leishmania donovani. The Delta adometdc null mutants were created in the insect vector form of the parasite by double targeted gene replacement. The Delta adometdc strains were incapable of growth in medium without polyamines; however, auxotrophy could be rescued by spermidine but not by putrescine, spermine, or methylthioadenosine. Incubation of Delta adometdc parasites in medium lacking polyamines resulted in a drastic increase of putrescine and glutathione levels with a concomitant decrease in the amounts of spermidine and the spermidine-containing thiol trypanothione. Parasites transfected with an episomal ADOMETDC construct were created in both wild type and Delta adometdc parasites. ADOMETDC overexpression abrogated polyamine auxotrophy in the Delta adometdc L. donovani. In addition, ADOMETDC overproduction in wild type parasites alleviated the toxic effects of 5'-(((Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl)methylamino)-5'-deoxyadenosine (MDL 73811), but not pentamidine, berenil, or methylglyoxyl bis(guanylhydrazone), all inhibitors of ADOMETDC activities in vitro. The molecular, biochemical, and genetic characterization of ADOMETDC establishes that it is essential in L. donovani promastigotes and a potential target for therapeutic validation.

Genetic analysis of spermidine synthase from Leishmania donovani

The polyamine biosynthetic pathway of protozoan parasites has been validated as a target in antiparasitic chemotherapy. To investigate this pathway at the biochemical and genetic level in a model parasite, the gene encoding spermidine synthase (SPDSYN), a key polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, has been cloned and sequenced from Leishmania donovani. The L. donovani SPDSYN gene encodes a polypeptide of 300 amino acids that exhibits 56% amino acid identity with the human counterpart. SPDSYN is present as a single copy gene in the leishmanial genome and encodes a 1.6 kb transcript. Employing SPDSYN flanking sequences to construct drug resistance cassettes, a Deltaspdsyn knockout strain of L. donovani was created by double targeted gene replacement. This Deltaspdsyn line could not convert putrescine to spermidine and was auxotrophic for polyamines. The polyamine auxotrophy could be circumvented by exogenous spermidine but not by putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane), cadaverine (1,5-diaminopentane), 1,3-diaminopropane, or spermine. Incubation of the null mutant in polyamine-deficient medium resulted in a rapid depletion in the intracellular spermidine level with a concomitant elevation of the putrescine pool. In addition, the level of trypanothione, a spermidine-containing thiol, was reduced, whereas the glutathione pool increased 3-4-fold. These data establish that SPDSYN is an essential enzyme in L. donovani promastigotes. The molecular and cellular reagents created in this investigation provide a foundation for subsequent structure-function and inhibitor design studies on this key polyamine biosynthetic enzyme.

Nuclear translocation of antizyme and expression of ornithine decarboxylase and antizyme are developmentally regulated

The polyamines are important regulators of cell growth and differentiation. Cells acquire polyamines by energy-dependent transport and by synthesis where the highly regulated ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) catalyzes the first and rate-controlling step. Inactivation of ODC is mainly exerted by antizyme (AZ), a 20--25 kDa polyamine-induced protein that binds to ODC, inactivates it, and targets it for degradation by the 26S proteasome without ubiquitination. In the present study, we have performed a systematic analysis of the expression of ODC and AZ, at the mRNA and protein levels, during mouse development. The expression patterns for ODC and AZ were found to be developmentally regulated, suggesting important functions for the polyamines in early embryogenesis, axonogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal interaction, and in apoptosis. In addition, AZ protein was found to translocate to the nucleus in a developmentally regulated manner. The nuclear localization is consistent with the fact that the amino acid sequence of AZ exhibits features that characterize nuclear proteins. Interestingly, we found that cultivation of mandibular components of the first branchial arch in the presence of a selective proteasome inhibitor caused ODC accumulation in the nucleus of a subset of cells, suggesting that the observed nuclear translocation of AZ is linked to proteasome-mediated ODC degradation in the nucleus. The presence of AZ in the nucleus may suggest that nuclear ODC activity is under tight control, and that polyamine production can be rapidly interrupted when those developmental events, which depend on access to nuclear polyamines, have been completed.

Skin fibroblasts from spermine synthase-deficient hemizygous gyro male (Gy/Y) mice overproduce spermidine and exhibit increased resistance to oxidative stress but decreased resistance to UV irradiation

Hemizygous gyro male (Gy/Y) mice are a model for X-linked hypophosphataemic rickets. As in humans, the disease is caused by deletions in the Phex gene, a phosphate-regulating gene having homologies with endopeptidases on the X chromosome. Some phenotypic abnormalities in Gy/Y mice have recently been attributed to the fact that the Gy deletion also includes the neighbouring spermine synthase gene, resulting in spermine deficiency. Spermine and its precursors spermidine and putrescine are essential for cell growth and differentiation. As a novel method for studying the function of spermine, we established primary cultures of skin fibroblasts from hemizygous Gy/Y mice. The Gy/Y cells contained no detectable spermine. In view of the fact that spermine is a free-radical scavenger in vitro, we were surprised to find that Gy/Y cells were more resistant to oxidative stress than their normal (X/Y) counterparts. However, our finding that spermidine accumulates markedly in the spermine-deficient Gy/Y cells can probably explain this increased resistance. It is the first indication that spermidine can serve as a free-radical scavenger in vivo and not only in vitro. When subjecting the Gy/Y cells to UV-C irradiation we made another interesting finding: the mutant cells were more sensitive than the normal X/Y cells. This finding indicates that spermine, probably because of its high-affinity binding to DNA, is important in protection against chromatin damage.

Antizyme inhibitor is rapidly induced in growth-stimulated mouse fibroblasts and releases ornithine decarboxylase from antizyme suppression

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) catalyses the first step in the synthesis of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine. The polyamines are essential for cell growth, but at elevated levels they may be tumorigenic, toxic, or may induce apoptosis. Therefore, ODC activity is highly regulated. It is induced when cells are stimulated to grow, and it is subjected to feedback inhibition by the polyamines. By causing ribosomal frameshifting, polyamines induce the synthesis of antizyme, a 23-kDa protein, which binds to ODC, inhibits its activity and promotes its degradation by the 26 S proteasome. Antizyme, in turn, is inhibited by antizyme inhibitor (AZI). We describe the cloning of a mouse AZI cDNA, encoding a protein with high homology to mouse ODC. Using purified recombinant proteins, we show that AZI (which has no ODC activity) can release enzymically active ODC from antizyme suppression in vitro. We also show that ODC reactivation takes place in mouse fibroblasts upon transient transfection with an AZI-expressing plasmid construct. Finally we demonstrate that the AZI mRNA content of mouse fibroblasts increases significantly within an hour of growth stimulation, i.e. much earlier than ODC transcripts. Our results indicate that induction of AZI synthesis may represent a means of rescuing ODC molecules that have been inactivated and tagged for degradation by antizyme, when culture conditions improve and polyamine production is needed for cell growth and proliferation.

Polyamine depletion up-regulates c-Myc expression, yet induces G(1) arrest and terminal differentiation of F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells

The ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) gene is a transcriptional target of c-Myc. Exponentially growing cells usually exhibit high c-Myc levels and high ODC levels, whereas stationary phase cells and terminally differentiated cells have low levels of both proteins. Therefore, we were surprised to find that when F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells were blocked in the G(1) phase of their cell cycle and induced to differentiate by irreversible inhibition of the ODC activity, the expression of c-Myc was up-regulated instead of being down-regulated. During the course of differentiation, the c-myc gene was constitutively expressed, and c-Myc protein accumulated. In transfection experiments, using ODC promoter-reporter gene fusion constructs, the accumulation of c-Myc protein, resulting from polyamine depletion, led to increased reporter gene expression. This finding is consistent with the view that depletion of polyamines relieves the suppression that they exert on c-myc mRNA translation, causing an accumulation of c-Myc protein, which in turn transactivates its target gene, the bona fide ODC gene. Thus, the accumulation of an active c-Myc protein does not preclude differentiative events, nor does it override the growth arrest caused by polyamine depletion. These results suggest a new role for polyamines-as negative regulators of c-Myc expression.

The functional intronless S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene of the mouse (Amd-2) is linked to the ornithine decarboxylase gene (Odc) on chromosome 12 and is present in distantly related species of the genus Mus

S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines. We have previously identified a mouse AdoMetDC gene that exhibits the hallmarks of a retroposon; that is, it has no introns, is flanked by direct repeats, and has a poly(dA) tract at its 3'-end. This gene, termed Amd-2, is not a processed pseudogene; rather, it is transcribed in a variety of mouse tissues and encodes a functional enzyme. In the current report, we present the sequence of a 6.7-kb genomic segment of the Amd-2 locus. Several sequences of interest, including an intercisternal A particle (IAP) element, a transposon-related sequence, and several expressed sequence tags (ESTs), were found within or near Amd-2. We also show, through analysis of an interspecific backcross, that Amd-2 is located on Chr 12, tightly linked to the gene (Odc) that encodes ornithine decarboxylase, another key enzyme in polyamine synthesis. Finally, we show that Amd-2 is present among several divergent species of the genus Mus. Thus, the integration event that generated Amd-2 may have occurred early during Mus evolution.

Trypanosoma cruzi has not lost its S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase: characterization of the gene and the encoded enzyme

All attempts to identify ornithine decarboxylase in the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi have failed. The parasites have instead been assumed to depend on putrescine uptake and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) for their synthesis of the polyamines spermidine and spermine. We have now identified the gene encoding AdoMetDC in T. cruzi by PCR cloning, with degenerate primers corresponding to conserved amino acid sequences in AdoMetDC proteins of other trypanosomatids. The amplified DNA fragment was used as a probe to isolate the complete AdoMetDC gene from a T. cruzi genomic library. The AdoMetDC gene was located on chromosomes with a size of approx. 1.4 Mbp, and contained a coding region of 1110 bp, specifying a sequence of 370 amino acid residues. The protein showed a sequence identity of only 25% with human AdoMetDC, the major differences being additional amino acids present in the terminal regions of the T. cruzi enzyme. As expected, a higher sequence identity (68-72%) was found in comparison with trypanosomatid AdoMetDCs. When the coding region was expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant protein underwent autocatalytic cleavage, generating a 33-34 kDa alpha subunit and a 9 kDa beta subunit. The encoded protein catalysed the decarboxylation of AdoMet (Km 0.21 mM) and was stimulated by putrescine but inhibited by the polyamines, weakly by spermidine and strongly by spermine. Methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), a potent inhibitor of human AdoMetDC, was a poor inhibitor of the T. cruzi enzyme. This differential sensitivity to MGBG suggests that the two enzymes are sufficiently different to warrant the search for compounds that might interfere with the progression of Chagas' disease by selectively inhibiting T. cruzi AdoMetDC.

Increased expression of c-jun, but not retinoic acid receptor beta, is associated with F9 teratocarcinoma stem cell differentiation induced by polyamine depletion

alpha-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, and all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) are known to induce F9 teratocarcinoma stem cell differentiation. Both compounds induce the formation of the same cell type, i.e., parietal endoderm-like cells expressing tissue plasminogen activator and collagen type IV alpha-1. The present study shows that DFMO and RA induce terminal differentiation of F9 cells through different pathways. Thus, retinoic acid receptor (RAR) alpha mRNA is weakly expressed during DFMO treatment, but strongly induced during an early phase of RA treatment. RAR beta mRNA is not detectable in DFMO-treated cells, but very strongly induced by RA and maintained at a high level throughout the differentiative process. RAR gamma mRNA is relatively strongly expressed in untreated control cells and remains at approximately the same level during DFMO-induced differentiation. In RA-treated cells, however, RAR gamma mRNA is rapidly down-regulated and becomes nondetectable during the final course of differentiation. These experiments show that the differentiation of F9 cells into parietal endoderm-like cells does not necessarily involve changes in any of the RAR mRNA subtypes. Even though the steady-state levels of the RAR alpha and RAR gamma transcripts may be sufficient to support the differentiative process, our data clearly show that induction of RAR beta mRNA transcription is neither a prerequisite for F9 cell differentiation, nor an absolute consequence of the elevated c-jun mRNA expression that is consistently observed during the course of parietal endoderm differentiation.

Interference with DNA methyltransferase activity and genome methylation during F9 teratocarcinoma stem cell differentiation induced by polyamine depletion

When ornithine decarboxylase, the initial and highly regulated enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, is irreversibly inactivated by alpha-difluoromethylornithine, F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells are depleted of putrescine and spermidine and as a result differentiate into a cell type which phenotypically resembles the parietal endoderm cells of the early mouse embryo. Simultaneously the level of decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (dcAdoMet), the aminopropyl group donor in spermidine and spermine synthesis, increases dramatically, as the aminopropyl group acceptor molecules (putrescine and spermidine) become limiting. When this excessive accumulation of dcAdoMet is prevented by specific inhibition of the AdoMet decarboxylase activity, the differentiative effect is counteracted, despite the fact that the extent of polyamine depletion remains almost identical. Therefore, it may be concluded that dcAdoMet plays an important role in the induction of differentiation. Moreover, this key metabolite acts as a competitive inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase and is therefore capable of interfering with the maintenance methylation of newly replicated DNA. During the course of F9 cell differentiation, the highly methylated genome is gradually demethylated, and its pattern of gene expression is changed. Our present findings, that the DNA remains highly methylated and that the differentiative process is counteracted when the build-up of dcAdoMet is prevented, provide strong evidence for a causative relation between the level of dcAdoMet and the state of DNA methylation as well as cell differentiation.

Cloning of a trypanosomatid gene coding for an ornithine decarboxylase that is metabolically unstable even though it lacks the C-terminal degradation domain

Mammalian ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is among the most labile of cellular proteins, with a half-life of usually less than an hour. Like other short-lived proteins ODC is degraded by the 26S proteasome. Its degradation is not triggered by ubiquitination, but is stimulated by the binding of an inducible protein, antizyme. Truncations and mutations in the C terminus of mammalian ODC have been shown to prevent the rapid turnover of the enzyme, demonstrating the presence of a degradation signal in this region. Moreover, ODCs from the trypanosomatid parasites Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania donovani, which lack this C-terminal domain, are metabolically stable, and recombination of T. brucei ODC with the C terminus of mammalian ODC confers a short half-life to the fusion protein when expressed in mammalian cells. In the present study we have cloned and sequenced the ODC gene from the trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata. To our knowledge, this is the first protozoan shown to have an ODC with a rapid turnover. The sequence analysis revealed a high homology between C. fasciculata ODC and L. donovani ODC, despite the difference in stability. We demonstrate that C. fasciculata ODC has a very rapid turnover even when expressed in mammalian cells. Moreover, ODC from C. fasciculata is shown to lack the C-terminal degradation domain of mammalian ODC. Our findings indicate that C. fasciculata ODC contains unique signals, targeting the enzyme for rapid degradation not only in the parasite but also in mammalian cells.

Down-regulation of ornithine decarboxylase by an increased degradation of the enzyme during gastrulation of Xenopus laevis

The present study was designed to analyze the regulation of the levels of the polyamines and their biosynthetic enzymes during embryonic development of Xenopus laevis. The activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a rate-controlling enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, is elevated until, during gastrulation, there is a precipitous drop in activity. This is not attributable to a decrease in ODC mRNA content and polysome profiles reveal no apparent decrease in ODC message associated with polysomes. ODC synthesis seems to be maintained at a low, relatively constant rate until neurulation whereupon ribosome loading of ODC mRNA increases. During gastrulation the rate of ODC degradation increases dramatically, which can account for the decrease in ODC. S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), another rate-controlling enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, shows a low and constant activity from cleavage to neurulation. Subsequently, the AdoMetDC activity increases dramatically. The changes in AdoMetDC activity parallel the changes in AdoMetDC mRNA levels, suggesting a transcriptional control of AdoMetDC expression during this development period. The activities of ODC and AdoMetDC produce a steady increase in putrescine and spermidine content of the embryo. The spermine content also increases until gastrulation, but then decreases until the tailbud stage.

DNA methylation and polyamines in embryonic development and cancer

Mammalian DNA contains relatively large amounts of a modified base, 5-methyl-cytosine (m5C). Methylation of cytosine is catalyzed by DNA(cytosine-5)methyltransferase (DNA MTase). DNA methylation seems to play an important role in the regulation of gene expression during development. Thus, m5C may inhibit transcription by preventing the binding of transcription factors and/or by altering chromatin structure. The DNA methylation patterns of the male and female pronuclei are erased in the morula and early blastula, and when the blastocyst forms, most of the DNA has become demethylated. Following implantation, however, there is a surge of de novo methylation affecting the entire genome, and already by gastrulation DNA is methylated to an extent characteristic of that of the adult animal. During subsequent development, tissue-specific genes undergo programmed demethylation, which may cause their activation. Site-directed mutagenesis of the DNA MTase gene, has recently shown that DNA methylation is absolutely required for normal development of the early mouse embryo. DNA methylation and polyamine synthesis depend on a common substrate, S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet). As a consequence, changes in cellular polyamine levels may affect the degree of DNA methylation. When the first step in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway is blocked, F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells accumulate large amounts of decarboxylated AdoMet, the aminopropyl group donor in polyamine synthesis, and go through terminal differentiation into parietal endoderm cells. The accumulation of decarboxylated AdoMet is a direct consequence of the polyamine-depleted state of the cell. Although the decarboxylated AdoMet molecule contains a methyl group, it does not act as a methyl group donor in DNA methylation. Instead it acts as a competitive inhibitor of DNA MTase. A consequence of polyamine depletion is therefore genome-wide loss of DNA methylation due to insufficient maintenance methylation during successive rounds of DNA replication. Our recent finding that prevention of the accumulation of decarboxylated AdoMet counteracts the differentiative effect lends further support to the hypothesis proposed.

Regulation of ornithine decarboxylase during cell growth. Changes in the stability and translatability of the mRNA, and in the turnover of the protein

When Ehrlich ascites tumor cells were stimulated to grow, their ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity increased 20- to 30-fold. The increase in ODC mRNA content was one order of magnitude less during the corresponding period. Likewise, the subsequent changes in ODC activity failed to show proportionality to those of the ODC mRNA content. The changes in ODC activity were not attributable to changes in ODC turnover, even though the half-life of the enzyme decreased from 56 min during the period of increasing, to 36 min during the period of decreasing ODC activity. There was no evidence of an activation-inactivation-cycle for the enzyme. In view of these findings it appears that ODC mRNA alterations are amplified mainly at the translational level. The biphasic change in ODC mRNA content was partly attributable to a change in turnover of the message, as determined after inhibition of transcription with actinomycin D. Thus, the ODC mRNA half-life was estimated to decrease from 8.7 h during the period of increasing ODC activity to 4.0 h during the period of decreasing ODC activity. Despite the inhibition of transcription by actinomycin D, there was a marked superinduction of ODC activity. Our data demonstrate that the regulation of ODC expression is a complex phenomenon, involving controls at many levels.

Cloning and sequencing of an intronless mouse S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene coding for a functional enzyme strongly expressed in the liver

A genomic clone for a mouse S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) gene was isolated from a cosmid library. Surprisingly, the gene proved to be intronless. With the exception of three base substitutions (changing 2 amino acids in the deduced protein), the 1002-nucleotide sequence of the open reading frame was identical to that of mouse AdoMetDC cDNA. Moreover, the gene contained a poly(dA) tract at the 3' end and was flanked by 13-base pair direct repeats. Our findings suggest that this gene has arisen by retroposition, in which a fully processed AdoMetDC mRNA has been reverse transcribed into a DNA copy and inserted into the genome. By polymerase chain reaction, we positively identified the intronless gene in the mouse genome, and, by primer extension analysis, we proved the gene to be functional. Thus, its transcripts were found in many cell lines and tissues of the mouse and were particularly abundant in the liver. When the open reading frame of the intronless gene was expressed in Escherichia coli HT551, a strain with no AdoMetDC activity, it was found to encode a 38-kDa protein, corresponding to AdoMetDC proenzyme. Although the change of methionine 70 to isoleucine was close to the cleavage site at serine 68, this protein underwent proenzyme processing, generating a 31-kDa alpha subunit and an 8-kDa beta subunit. Importantly, the protein encoded by the intronless gene was functional, i.e. it catalyzed the decarboxylation of S-adenosylmethionine, and its specific activity was comparable with that of recombinant human AdoMetDC purified according to the same procedure.

Development of resistance to hydroxyurea during treatment of human myelogenous leukemia K562 cells with alpha-difluoromethylornithine as a result of coamplification of genes for ornithine decarboxylase and ribonucleotide reductase R2 subunit

alpha-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), was used to select two very highly drug-resistant cell lines, designated K562-DFMOr and V79-DFMOr. Both DFMO-resistant cell lines exhibited elevated ODC expression due to gene amplification. Moreover, the K562-DFMOr cells, but not the V79-DFMOr cells, had an elevated level of ribonucleotide reductase subunit R2 (R2) mRNA and an increased R2 gene copy number. By analysis of their electron paramagnetic resonance spectra, an increased level of the R2 protein was observed in the K562-DFMOr cells as compared to the wild type K562 cells. This is the first description of a DFMO-induced mutant cell line exhibiting coamplification of the genes for ODC and R2, and overexpression of their products. There was no coamplification of the N-myc protooncogene, which is located close to the ODC and R2 genes on human chromosome 2. The alterations exhibited by the K562-DFMOr cell line were shown to be stable for many passages and to convey resistance not only to DFMO but also to hydroxyurea, an inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase and thus DNA replication. In the absence of the selective pressure exerted by DFMO, the V79-DFMOr cell line produced revertants by loss of ODC gene amplification within three passages. Coamplification of linked genes may turn out to be an important mechanism in the development of cross-resistance and should be considered when designing therapeutic strategies.

Polyamine-mediated regulation of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase expression in mammalian cells. Studies using 5'-([(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino)-5'-deoxyadenosine, a suicide inhibitor of the enzyme

Cell proliferation is dependent on an adequate supply of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine. One of the key steps in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway is catalyzed by S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC). In the present study we have used a newly synthesized enzyme-activated irreversible AdoMetDC inhibitor, 5'-([(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino)-5'-deoxyadenosine [(Z)-AbeAdo], to investigate the regulation of this enzyme. Treatment of mouse L1210 leukemia cells with (Z)-AbeAdo resulted in a total inhibition of their AdoMetDC activity followed by depletion of the spermidine and spermine content. The putrescine content, however, was dramatically increased after treatment with (Z)-AbeAdo. In spite of the cellular depletion of spermidine and spermine, only a minor inhibitory effect was obtained on cell growth, indicating that putrescine at a high concentration might partly replace spermidine and spermine in their growth-promoting functions. Cells grown in the presence of (Z)-AbeAdo exhibited an increased synthesis of AdoMetDC, which was counteracted by the addition of either spermidine or spermine. The change in AdoMetDC synthesis could not be fully explained by a change in the level of AdoMetDC mRNA, indicating also a translational control. Mammalian AdoMetDC is synthesized as a larger proenzyme, which is then cleaved into two subunits of different sizes. The conversion of the proenzyme into the subunits is a very rapid process, which is stimulated greatly by putrescine in vitro. However, the processing of the proenzyme in the (Z)-AbeAdo-treated L1210 cells was not affected by their very high putrescine content, indicating that the conversion might be saturated at low levels of putrescine, or that most of the putrescine in the (Z)-AbeAdo-treated L1210 cells might be bound to sites normally occupied by spermidine and spermine.

Antileukemic effects of non-metabolizable derivatives of spermidine and spermine

To determine whether non-metabolizable derivatives of spermidine and spermine exert anticancer effects, L1210 leukemic mice were treated with 5,8-dimethylspermidine and 5,8-dimethylspermine. Both derivatives cured 5% of the leukemic mice. The increase in median survival time, however, was slight. In combination with alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, only 5,8-dimethylspermine had a favorable effect. Treatment with DFMO is known to increase the uptake of extracellular polyamines and presumably their derivatives, by depleting the intracellular putrescine and spermidine content. However, treatment of L1210 leukemia cells in vitro with DFMO did not affect the uptake of the methyl-substituted polyamines added to the growth medium. 5,8-Dimethylspermidine and 5,8-dimethylspermine repressed the ornithine decarboxylase activity when added to cultures of L1210 leukemia cells. S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity was only repressed by 5,8-dimethylspermine. This finding may explain the potentiation by this derivative and not by 5,8-dimethylspermidine, of the antileukemic effect of DFMO.

Increased survival of L1210 leukemic mice by prevention of the utilization of extracellular polyamines. Studies using a polyamine-uptake mutant, antibiotics and a polyamine-deficient diet

When L1210 leukemia cells are inhibited in their polyamine synthesis by treatment with alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), their growth in culture is strongly suppressed. In striking contrast, the survival of L1210 leukemic mice is only marginally prolonged by DFMO treatment. This inconsistency is due to the fact, that in the mouse the tumor cells can utilize extracellular polyamines to compensate for the decrease in putrescine and spermidine synthesis caused by DFMO treatment. In the present study, we demonstrate that a reduction in the transport of polyamines into the tumor cells is a more effective means of increasing the therapeutic effect of DFMO than is a reduction in the supply of extracellular polyamines. DFMO treatment cured 30-75% of leukemic mice bearing mutant L1210-MGBGr cells deficient in polyamine uptake, but only slightly increased the survival time of leukemic mice bearing the parental L1210 cells despite the fact that the supply of extracellular polyamines was reduced (by feeding the mice a polyamine-deficient diet containing antibiotics). The effectiveness by which DFMO cured leukemic mice bearing L1210-MGBGr cells appeared to be sex dependent. Thus, 58% of the female mice, as compared to 30% of the male mice, were cured by DFMO treatment.

On the translational control of ornithine decarboxylase expression by polyamines

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) expression is subject to negative feedback regulation by the polyamines. The results of previous studies favor either translational or post-translational regulation. To facilitate further analysis of the mechanism by which polyamines affect ODC expression we have used a cell line (L1210-DFMOr) that overproduces ODC. This cell line was isolated by selection for resistance to the antiproliferative effect of the ODC inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). These cells respond similarly to polyamine depletion and repletion as do their wild-type counterparts. When L1210-DFMOr cells were grown in the presence of 20 mM DFMO (i.e., when their polyamine content was reduced to an extent that still permitted a normal growth rate) ODC represented 4-5% of the soluble protein synthesized. After transfer of the cells to a medium lacking DFMO (i.e., when their polyamine pools were repleted), the rate of incorporation of [35S]methionine into ODC was one order of magnitude lower. Since this difference in incorporation of radioactivity into ODC remained the same irrespective of the pulse-label time used (between 2 and 20 min) it is likely to represent a true difference in ODC synthesis rate. Consequently, the pulse-label experiments cannot be explained by rapid degradation of the enzyme during the labeling period. The difference in ODC synthesis rate was not accompanied by a corresponding difference in the steady-state level of ODC mRNA. Analyses of the distribution of ODC mRNA in polysome profiles did not demonstrate any major difference between cells grown in the absence or presence of DFMO, even though the ODC synthesis rate differed by as much as 10-fold. However, the distribution of the ODC mRNA in the polysome profiles indicated that the message was poorly translated. Thus, most of the ODC mRNA was present in fractions containing ribosomal subunits or monosomes. Inhibition of elongation by cycloheximide treatment resulted in a shift of the ODC mRNA from the region of the gradient containing ribosomal subunits to that containing mono- and polysomes, indicating that most of the ODC mRNA was accessible to translation. Taken together these data lend support to a translational control mechanism which involves both initiation and elongation.

Superinduction of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) by actinomycin D is due to stimulation of ODC mRNA translation

Inhibition of transcription by treatment with actinomycin D caused superinduction of the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Experiments with cycloheximide ruled out the possibility that this superinduction was due to stabilization of ODC. Instead the ODC activity exhibited a more rapid turnover in the presence of actinomycin D (t1/2 = 56 min). The superinduction was found to coincide with an increased rate of ODC synthesis, as determined by measuring the incorporation of [35S )methionine into immunoreactive ODC protein. The steady-state level of ODC mRNA was unchanged, indicating an effect on the translational efficiency.

Implications for a reduced DNA-elongation rate in polyamine-depleted cells

Treatment of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells with 2-difluoromethylornithine (F2MeOrn), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, resulted in depleted putrescine and spermidine content, and reduced growth rate. We have previously shown that adenine ribonucleotide levels are substantially increased in these polyamine-depleted cells. The present paper addresses the question whether the elevated ATP pool is accompanied by a concomitant increase in the dATP pool. If this is the case, the observed growth inhibition could be explained by the well-known dATP-mediated feedback inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase. We found that dNTP pools were not unbalanced and that dNTP synthesis was not arrested in polyamine-depleted cells. Moreover, the dNTP content and the activity of ribonucleotide reductase (CDP reduction) and thymidylate synthase, remained elevated despite the fact that the cells were inhibited in their growth by F2MeOrn treatment. Incorporation of a radiolabeled precursor into DNA was initially lower in F2MeOrn-treated. cells than in control cells. However, while incorporation of a radiolabeled precursor into DNA decreased markedly in plateau-phase control cells, it remained at a higher level in cells inhibited in growth by polyamine depletion. This discrepancy may be explained by the fact that polyamine-depleted cells accumulated in the S phase, and that they had an increased content of acid-soluble radiolabeled DNA precursor. Our data indicate that polyamine depletion adversely affects the DNA synthetic machinery by reducing the rate of elongation.

Residual proliferative capacity in F9 teratocarcinoma stem cell cultures treated with alpha-difluoromethylornithine, an inducer of parietal endoderm differentiation

We have previously shown that inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis by treatment with 5 mM alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) causes growth arrest and induces differentiation of F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells. The resulting phenotype is similar to that of parietal endoderm, and these differentiated cells possess no apparent proliferative capacity. In the present study, however, it is demonstrated that some of the DFMO-treated cells are not terminally differentiated. Upon a change to DFMO-free growth medium these cells eventually start to proliferate. Using a colony forming efficiency assay, it is estimated that less than 1 out of 200,000 cells retains its proliferative capacity after 6-10 days of DFMO treatment. These cells exhibit no apparent resistance to DFMO, and their population doubling time is similar to that of untreated control F9 cells. Consequently, the possible existence of a small, quiescent, cell population possessing proliferative potential must be taken into account when designing therapeutic protocols for DFMO.

Molecular genetics of polyamine synthesis in eukaryotic cells

The polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine are important cellular constituents involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. Their intracellular levels are regulated by a multitude of mechanisms affecting their synthesis, degradation, uptake and excretion. As a result of the application of molecular biology techniques, some of these mechanisms are presently being unravelled, and are providing a basis for the rational development of novel agents effective against proliferative disorders and various parasitic diseases.

Feedback regulation of ornithine decarboxylase expression. Studies using a polysomal run-off system

The rate-controlling enzyme in polyamine synthesis, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), is subject to feedback regulation by the polyamines at the level of translation. In the present study we used a cell-free translation system to further investigate the mechanism by which this regulation occurs. Lysates of ODC-overproducing cells were capable of synthesizing large amounts of ODC. The degree of initiation was poor in the lysates and the synthesis of ODC was mainly a result of continued elongation of peptide chains on pre-initiated ribosomes. By determining the amount of ODC produced in the lysate, we obtained an estimate of the number of ribosomes that were actively translating ODC mRNA at the moment of lysis. Using this polysomal run-off assay we demonstrated that the polyamine-mediated regulation of ODC synthesis occurs without any change in the number of ribosomes associated with the message. This finding indicates that the polyamines exert a coordinate effect on initiation and elongation.

Effects of S-adenosyl-1,8-diamino-3-thio-octane and S-methyl-5'-methylthioadenosine on polyamine synthesis in Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells

The rate-limiting enzymes in polyamine biosynthesis, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), are negatively regulated by the polyamines spermidine and spermine. In the present work the spermidine synthase inhibitor S-adenosyl-1,8-diamino-3-thio-octane (AdoDATO) and the spermine synthase inhibitor S-methyl-5'-methylthioadenosine (MMTA) were used to evaluate the regulatory role of the individual polyamines. Treatment of Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells with AdoDATO caused a marked decrease in spermidine content together with an accumulation of putrescine and spermine. Treatment with MMTA, on the other hand, gave rise to a marked decrease in spermine, with a simultaneous accumulation of spermidine. A dramatic increase in the activity of AdoMetDC, but not of ODC, was observed in MMTA-treated cells. This increase appears to be unrelated to the decrease in spermine content, because a similar rise in AdoMetDC activity was obtained when AdoDATO was given in addition to MMTA, in which case the spermine content remained largely unchanged. Instead, we show that the increase in AdoMetDC activity is mainly due to stabilization of the enzyme, probably by binding of MMTA. Treatment with AdoDATO had no effects on the activities of ODC and AdoMetDC, even though it caused a precipitous decrease in spermidine content. The expected decrease in spermidine-mediated suppression of ODC and AdoMetDC was most probably counteracted by the simultaneous increase in spermine. The combination of AdoDATO and MMTA caused a transient rise in ODC activity. Concomitant with this rise, the putrescine and spermidine contents increased, whereas that of spermine remained virtually unchanged. The increase in ODC activity was due to increased synthesis of the enzyme. There were no major effects on the amount of AdoMetDC mRNA by treatment with the inhibitors, alone or in combination. However, the synthesis of AdoMetDC was slightly stimulated in cells treated with MMTA or AdoDATO plus MMTA. The present study demonstrates that regulation of neither ODC nor AdoMetDC is a direct function of the polyamine structure. Instead, it appears that the biosynthesis of the polyamines is feedback-regulated by the various polyamines at many different levels.

Polyamine-mediated control of mammalian S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase expression: effects on the content and translational efficiency of the mRNA

The expression of mammalian AdoMet decarboxylase, a key enzyme in polyamine synthesis, was shown to be regulated by polyamines at two different levels. Polyamine depletion of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells induced a marked compensatory increase in the synthesis of the enzyme, as measured by 35S-methionine pulse-labeling and immuno-precipitation. This increase in synthesis rate was counteracted by provision of spermidine, which reduced the synthesis of AdoMet decarboxylase to an undetectable level. Northern analysis revealed a nearly 2-fold increase in the amount of AdoMet decarboxylase mRNA when the putrescine and spermidine content was depleted. This increase in AdoMet decarboxylase mRNA content cannot account for the more than 5-fold increase in synthesis rate, indicating a feedback regulation also at the level of mRNA translation.

Inhibition of polyamine synthesis in human B lymphocytes during primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) blocks cellular DNA synthesis but not the expression of EBV-encoded nuclear antigens (EBNA)

Inhibition of polyamine synthesis by 2-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) treatment had no apparent effect on the initial manifestation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in human B lymphocytes, because the expression of EBV-encoded nuclear antigens (EBNA) occurred normally. However, many subsequent steps in the transformation process were inhibited by DFMO treatment. These include cellular DNA synthesis and immunoglobulin (IgM, IgG and IgA) synthesis and secretion. Consequently, DFMO treatment blocked the progression of the transformation process of EBV-infected B lymphocytes. EBV-carrying marmoset B lymphocytes (B95-8 cells) were also blocked in their DNA synthesis when treated with DFMO. At variance with other DNA synthesis inhibitors, which induce virus production very effectively in B95-8 cells, DFMO caused no increase in the number of cells expressing the early antigens associated with the lytic cycle.

Feedback control of ornithine decarboxylase expression by polyamines. Analysis of ornithine decarboxylase mRNA distribution in polysome profiles and of translation of this mRNA in vitro

Cell growth and differentiation require the presence of optimal concentrations of polyamines. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) catalyses the first and rate-controlling step in polyamine synthesis. In studies using cultures of Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells, we have shown that the expression of ODC is subject to feedback regulation by the polyamines. A decrease in the cellular polyamine concentration results in a compensatory increase in the synthesis of ODC, whereas an increase in polyamine concentration results in suppression of ODC synthesis. These changes in ODC synthesis were attributed to changes in the efficiency of ODC mRNA translation, because the steady-state amount of ODC mRNA remained constant. We now show that the number of ribosomes associated with ODC mRNA is low, and that the increase in ODC mRNA translation takes place without a shift in the distribution of ODC mRNA towards larger polysomes. This finding indicates that the polyamines regulate the efficiency of ODC mRNA translation by co-ordinately affecting the rates of initiation and elongation. By analysing ODC mRNA translation in vitro, using a rabbit reticulocyte lysate, polyadenylated RNA from a cell line with an amplified ODC gene, and a monospecific anti-ODC antibody, we also show that spermidine, but not putrescine, exerts a direct regulatory effect on ODC synthesis.

Feedback regulation of polyamine synthesis in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Analysis using nonmetabolizable derivatives of putrescine and spermine

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is subject to feedback regulation by the polyamines. Thus, addition of putrescine, spermidine or spermine to cells causes inhibition of ODC mRNA translation. Putrescine and spermine are readily converted into spermidine. Therefore, it is conceivable that the inhibition of ODC synthesis observed in putrescine- and spermine-supplemented cells is instead an effect of spermidine. To examine this possibility we have used two analogs of putrescine and spermine, namely 1,4-dimethylputrescine and 5,8-dimethylspermine, which cannot be converted into spermidine. Both analogs were found to inhibit the incorporation of [35S]methionine into ODC protein to approximately the same extent, suggesting that putrescine as well as spermine exert a negative feedback control of ODC mRNA translation in the cell. In addition to suppressing ODC synthesis, both analogs were found to increase the turnover rate of the enzyme. 5,8-Dimethylspermine caused a marked decrease in the activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC). This effect was not obtained with 1,4-dimethylputrescine, indicating that spermine, but not putrescine, exerts a negative control of AdoMetDC. Treatment with 1,4-dimethylputrescine caused extensive depletion of the cellular putrescine and spermidine content, but accumulation of spermine. 5,8-Dimethylspermine treatment, on the other hand, effectively depleted the spermine content and had less effect on the putrescine and spermidine content, at least initially. Nevertheless, the total polyamine content was more extensively reduced by treatment with 5,8-dimethylspermine than with 1,4-dimethylputrescine. Accordingly, only 5,8-dimethylspermine treatment exerted a significant inhibitory effect on Ehrlich ascites tumor cell growth.

Curative effect of DL-2-difluoromethylornithine on mice bearing mutant L1210 leukemia cells deficient in polyamine uptake

The objective of the present investigation was to determine to what extent polyamine uptake from the host contributes to the ability of tumor cells in overcoming the antiproliferative effect of a polyamine synthesis inhibitor. A mutant L1210 leukemia cell line deficient in polyamine transport was isolated by selection for resistance to methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), an extremely cytotoxic agent which is taken up by the same transport system as the polyamines. C57BL/6 x DBA/2 F1 mice inoculated with mutant L1210 cells survived on the average 60 to 70% longer than mice inoculated with the parental cells. The therapeutic effect of a polyamine synthesis inhibitor, DL-2-difluoromethylornithine (3% in the drinking water), was much greater on mice bearing mutant L1210 cells (87% increase in median survival time; 13 of 40 mice cured) than on mice inoculated with parental cells (22% increase in median survival time). Similar results, although not as striking, were obtained using athymic nude mice, indicating that the therapeutic difference is not merely due to increased immunogenicity of the mutant cells.

Ehrlich ascites tumour cells become refractory to alpha-difluoromethylornithine at a certain stage of growth

When Ehrlich ascites tumour cells are induced to proliferate by serum stimulation, the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity increases rapidly and reaches two to three peaks during the first 24 h. Inhibition of the first peak in ODC activity (occurring at 4 h) by adding alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) within 2 h of serum stimulation, results in maximal growth inhibition. Under these conditions, similar degrees of polyamine depletion are achieved. When DFMO is added 3 h after seeding, however, enough polyamines have already accumulated during the initial burst in ODC activity to reduce the antiproliferative effect of the drug. The antiproliferative effect is further reduced when DFMO is added 6 h after seeding. When DFMO is added 23 h after seeding, i.e. after maximal accumulation of polyamines, there is no inhibition of cell proliferation. These findings are important to consider both when designing experimental as well as clinical regimens for this drug.

Regulation of ornithine decarboxylase mRNA translation by polyamines. Studies using a cell-free system and a cell line with an amplified ornithine decarboxylase gene

The translational control of ornithine decarboxylase (ODCase) by polyamines has been studied using a cellular as well as a cell-free system. A mutant L1210 cell line, in which ODCase represents 4-5% of all soluble protein synthesized, was isolated by stepwise selection for resistance to the ODCase inhibitor 2-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). The exceptionally high expression of ODCase in these cells was due to amplification of the ODCase gene. When the cells were grown in the absence of DFMO, dramatic increases in cellular putrescine and spermidine levels occurred. These increases were accompanied by a rapid decrease in ODCase synthesis. The change in ODCase synthesis was not associated with an alteration in the amount of ODCase mRNA, demonstrating a translational control in these cells. The effects of polyamines on ODCase mRNA translation were also studied in rabbit reticulocyte lysates using mRNA isolated from the DFMO-resistant cells. Low concentrations of spermidine stimulated synthesis of ODCase and that of total protein, when added to gel-filtered lysates. Notably, optimal stimulation of ODCase synthesis was achieved at a spermidine concentration lower than that required for an optimal rate of total protein synthesis. Higher concentrations of spermidine were inhibitory, and their effects of ODCase synthesis were stronger than on protein synthesis in general, resulting in a decrease in the fraction of protein synthesis accounted for by ODCase. The present results demonstrate that at least part of the feedback regulation of ODCase exerted by the polyamines is due to direct inhibition of ODCase mRNA translation.

Polyamines, DNA methylation and cell differentiation

The cellular concentration of AdoMet is normally very much higher than that of dcAdoMet, the aminopropyl group donor in polyamine synthesis. However, when cells are depleted of their putrescine and spermidine, i.e. the aminopropyl group acceptors, the dcAdoMet concentration increases dramatically, to a level that may greatly exceed that of AdoMet. Using a highly purified DNA methyltransferase and its preferred substrates, a defined hemimethylated duplex oligodeoxynucleotide or poly(dI-dC)-poly(dI-dC), we demonstrate that dcAdoMet is a poor methyl group donor, and that it starts to inhibit DNA methylation when its concentration exceeds that of AdoMet. At a dcAdoMet/AdoMet ratio of 5:1 there is very little methyl transfer. This study suggests that the antiproliferative and differentiative effects brought about by inhibitors of polyamine synthesis may be partly attributable to dcAdoMet-mediated inhibition of DNA methylation.

Inhibition of polyamine synthesis reduces the growth rate and delays the expression of differentiated phenotypes in primary cultures of embryonic mesoderm from chick

Inhibition of polyamine synthesis in early chick embryos blocks their development at gastrulation. Analyses of arrested embryos show that mesodermal outgrowth and differentiation are drastically impaired. To study these effects in greater detail, we have used primary cultures of embryonic mesoderm from chick. The cultures were treated with alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, the first and rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine synthesis. In control culture medium, mesodermal cells retained their in ovo outgrowth behavior and differentiation pattern. Addition of 10 mM DFMO to the culture medium, however, retarded attachment and outgrowth, and reduced the rate of proliferation of the mesodermal cells. Furthermore, the expression of differentiated phenotypes, such as beating heart tissue, erythroid cells, and adipocyte-like cells, was delayed. Simultaneous addition of 100 microM putrescine prevented or reduced the effects of DFMO, showing that these were indeed caused by polyamine deficiency. In the DFMO-treated mesoderm, DNA synthesis was markedly suppressed by the first day. Similar effects on RNA and protein synthesis developed at a later time. Our data suggest that a reduction in the concentrations of the polyamines decreases the rate of mesodermal cell proliferation, and as a consequence delays the expression of differentiated phenotypes.

Localization of ornithine decarboxylase in the chick embryo during organogenesis

The localization of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis and thus in cell growth, was determined in the 4.5-day-old chick embryo, using two independent methods of analysis. ODC protein was identified by indirect immunofluorescence with a monospecific ODC antibody, and catalytically active ODC was identified by autoradiography with alpha-(5-3H) difluoromethylornithine. Both methods revealed a basically similar distribution of ODC within the embryo. Among the organs, the brain exhibited the highest ODC levels. ODC levels were also high in spinal cord, mesonephric tubules and heart. Similar levels, but confined to limited areas, were found in liver tissue, head mesenchyme, and the oral and pharyngeal regions. Organs that exhibited high ODC levels are all engaged in rapid growth, as well as in extensive tissue remodeling and differentiation.

Translational regulation of ornithine decarboxylase by polyamines

The activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway, is dramatically increased in proliferating cells. In addition to transcriptional regulation of ODC, the present study shows that the enzyme is regulated at the translational level by putrescine and spermidine. ODC synthesis is inhibited by an increase and stimulated by a decrease in their cellular content. Spermidine is a more potent negative regulator than is putrescine. The effects of polyamines on ODC synthesis were not attributable to changes in the cellular content of ODC mRNA, thus demonstrating regulation at the translational level.

Transcriptional inhibition in early chick embryos as a result of polyamine depletion

In the early chick embryo, inhibition of polyamine synthesis by alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, blocks development at gastrulation. This effect was paralleled by a marked suppression of RNA and protein synthesis. There was no major change in cell cycle distribution in DFMO-treated embryos. Nevertheless, analysis of DNA synthesis and mitotic index indicated a prolongation of the cell cycle, possibly affecting all the phases. The inhibition of RNA synthesis in polyamine-depleted embryos, as evaluated by [3H]uridine incorporation, was not a result of reduced uptake or expansion of the UTP pool, and there was no deficiency or major imbalance among the ATP, GTP, and CTP pools. On the basis of agarose gel electrophoretic analyses of the various RNA species, and experiments using RNA synthesis inhibitors with different modes of action (actinomycin D, alpha-amanitin, and 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole), it was concluded that the DFMO-induced gastrular arrest was due to general inhibition of transcription.

Increased urinary polyamine excretion during liver regeneration

Tumor growth is a process associated with both cell proliferation and cell death. The increase in polyamine excretion observed in cancer patients may be partly due to leakage of polyamines from proliferating cells, which all contain an elevated polyamine level. However, the increased polyamine excretion may also be due to a release of polyamines from dead or damaged cells. To determine if actively proliferating cells release polyamines, the urinary polyamine excretion was measured during a proliferative event associated with minimal cell necrosis. Rats subjected to partial hepatectomy were used as an experimental model. Their 24-hr urines were collected during 6 consecutive days following the operation. Rat liver regeneration is characterized by a proliferation wave with a maximum 24 hr after the operation. The 24-hr urinary putrescine excretion reached a maximum 2 days after the operation and then decreased. The 24-hr urinary spermidine excretion increased during the second day following operation and remained essentially unchanged during the rest of the experimental period. Although there is an apparent correlation between elevated urinary polyamine excretion and the proliferative activity, concurrent permeability changes and necrotic events may contribute to the increase in polyamine excretion.

Polyamine depletion increases cellular ribonucleotide levels

Depletion of the putrescine and spermidine content of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells by alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) treatment results in at least a 1 500-fold increase in the decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (deSAM) content. The accumulation of this adenine nucleoside occurs because of the absence of putrescine and spermidine to act as aminopropyl group acceptors in the spermidine and spermine synthase reactions and because of an increase in S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity. The fact that the synthesis of deSAM continues in DFMO-treated cells makes the pathway an adenine trap. This prompted a study of the adenine nucleotide pools. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis showed that the total adenine nucleotide pool increased, rather than decreased, as a result of DFMO treatment; the major contributors to the increase being ATP and ADP, which increased 2.6 and 1.9 times, respectively. The cellular content of other ribonucleotides increased as well, particularly that of UTP and CTP. When putrescine was added together with DFMO, the increases in cellular ribonucleotide contents were prevented, showing that they were indeed caused by polyamine depletion.

Synergistic antileukemic effect of two polyamine synthesis inhibitors. Host survival and cell-cycle kinetic analysis

alpha-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, was used alone and in combination with multiple doses of methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) to treat mice with systemic L1210 leukemia. Used as a single agent (administered p.o. as a 3% solution in tap water), DFMO exerted a weak therapeutic effect against this tumor. The therapeutic effect of MGBG (administered i.p. at 50 mg/kg/day) was only slightly better. However, 1-3 days of pretreatment with DFMO strongly potentiated the effect of MGBG treatment. Thus, mice treated with the combination exhibited an increase in life span of up to 138%. The prolonged survival of leukemic mice treated with a combination of DFMO and MGBG was associated with inhibition of polyamine synthesis and a marked decrease in the spermidine and spermine content of the tumor cells as compared to untreated controls. As a consequence, there was a continuous decrease in the S- and G2-phase fractions with a concomitant increase in G1. Used singly, DFMO and MGBG had no significant effect on the cell-cycle distribution. The effects of the combination of DFMO and MGBG on the cell-cycle distribution are consistent with the contention that polyamine deficiency primarily interferes with initiation of DNA synthesis. However, the possibility that selective S-phase kill partly contributes to this change in cell-cycle distribution cannot be excluded.