adenosine-kinase and triciribine-phosphate

To predict the response of cells to chemotherapeutic agents based on gene expression profiles, we performed a chemoinformatic study of a set of standard anticancer agents assayed for activity against a panel of 60 human tumor-derived cell lines from the Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).. Mechanistically-relevant gene:drug activity associations were identified in the scientific literature. The correlations between expression levels of drug target genes and the activity of the drugs against the NCI's 60 cell line panel were calculated across and within each tumor tissue type, using published drug activity and gene expression data.. Compared to other mechanistically-relevant gene-drug associations, that of triciribine phosphate (TCN-P) and adenosine kinase (ADK) was exceptionally strong--overall and within tumor tissue types-across the 60 cell lines profiled for chemosensitivity (1) and gene expression (2).. The results suggest ADK expression may be useful for stratifying TCN-P-responsive vs. non-responsive tumors. Based on TCN-P's mechanism of action and the observed TCN-P:ADK association, we contend that catalytic drug activation provides a rational, mechanistic basis for personalizing cancer treatment based on tumor-specific differences in the expression of drug-activating enzymes.

Topics: Acenaphthenes; Adenosine Kinase; Antineoplastic Agents; Biotransformation; Catalysis; Cell Line, Tumor; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Medical Informatics; Neoplasms; Oligonucleotides; Ribonucleotides

Triciribine (TCN) is a tricyclic nucleoside with known antineoplastic and antiviral activity. It is a potent and selective inhibitor of HIV-1 and HIV-2, including strains known to be resistant to AZT or TIBO. TCN is phosphorylated to its 5'-monophosphate (TCN-P) by intracellular adenosine kinase (AK), but is not converted to di- or triphosphates. We now report that 5'-phosphorylation is requisite for the activity of TCN against HIV-1. CEM cells incubated with TCN at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 330 microM gave intracellular TCN-P concentrations from 27 to 775 microM, respectively. There was no difference in the amount of intracellular TCN-P detected in uninfected compared with HIV-1-infected CEM cells. The antiviral effect of TCN against HIV-1 was strongly antagonized by the AK inhibitor 5-iodotubercidin (ITu). In contrast, TCN and ITu only exhibited additive cytotoxicity. The 5'-deoxy analog of TCN, which cannot be phosphorylated, had no antiviral effect against HIV-1 at a concentration more than 100 times higher than the IC50 of TCN. Similarly, TCN was not active against HIV-1 in an AK-deficient cell line (AA-2) at concentrations shown to inhibit the virus by >95% in CEM cells. Consistent with its AK-deficient phenotype, this cell line phosphorylated TCN to only 3% of the extent observed in CEM cells. We conclude that TCN must be phosphorylated to TCN-P for activity against HIV-1.

Topics: Acenaphthenes; Adenosine Kinase; Anti-HIV Agents; Biotransformation; Enzyme Inhibitors; HIV-1; Humans; Jurkat Cells; Phosphorylation; Ribonucleosides; Ribonucleotides; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The tricyclic nucleotide triciribine phosphate (TCN-P) was synthesized as a water-soluble derivative of the tricyclic nucleoside TCN (L. B. Townsend et al, INSERM 81:37, 1978). Growth of L1210 cells in vitro was inhibited equally by TCN and TCN-P. A requirement for adenosine kinase activity for activation of both TCN and TCN-P was established by the observation that growth inhibition by either compound was decreased 200-fold by the adenosine kinase inhibitor 5-iodotubercidin and greater than 5000-fold in L1210/T, an adenosine kinase-deficient subline. The TCN/TCN-P resistance of L1210/T cells was correlated with lack of formation of intracellular TCN-P from either TCN or TCN-P. Thus, it appeared that TCN-P was hydrolyzed to TCN and then rephosphorylated intracellularly. Both the horse serum-containing culture medium and the intact cells possessed nucleotide phosphatase activity, which may contribute to the hydrolysis of TCN-P to TCN in the L1210 cell cultures. The requirement for hydrolysis of TCN-P to TCN for formation of intracellular TCN-P from exogenous TCN-P was also shown directly by the observation that human erythrocytes, which lack ectophosphatases, readily formed intracellular TCN-P from TCN but not from TCN-P when incubated in buffer.

Topics: Acenaphthenes; Adenosine Kinase; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Biotransformation; Cell Division; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Erythrocytes; Humans; Hydrolysis; Leukemia L1210; Mice; Nucleotides; Ribonucleotides