benzofurans and adozelesin

Cellular DNA is not a uniform target for DNA-reactive drugs. At the nucleotide level, drugs recognize and bind short motifs of a few base pairs. The location of drug adducts at the genomic level depends on how these short motifs are distributed in larger domains. This aspect, referred to as region specificity, may be critical for the biological outcome of drug action. Recent studies demonstrated that certain minor groove binding (MGB) drugs, such as bizelesin, produce region-specific lesions in cellular DNA. Bizelesin binds mainly T(A/T)(4)A sites, which are on average scarce, but occasionally cluster in distinct minisatellite regions (200-1000 bp of approximately 85-100% AT), herein referred to as AT islands. Bizelesin-targeted AT islands are likely to function as strong matrix attachment regions (MARs), domains that organize DNA loops on the nuclear matrix. Distortion of MAR-like AT islands may be a basis for the observed inhibition of new replicon initiation and the extreme lethality of bizelesin adducts (<10 adducts/cell for cell growth inhibition). Hence, long AT-islands represent a novel class of critical targets for anticancer drugs. The AT island paradigm illustrates the potential of the concept of regional targeting as an essential component of the rational design of new sequence-specific DNA-reactive drugs.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Binding Sites; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Distamycins; DNA Damage; DNA, Neoplasm; Drug Design; Duocarmycins; Genome, Human; Humans; Indoles; Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; Tandem Repeat Sequences; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Urea

Recent work on a number of different classes of anticancer agents that alkylate DNA in the minor groove is reviewed. There has been much work with nitrogen mustards, where attachment of the mustard unit to carrier molecules can change the normal patterns of both regio- and sequence-selectivity, from reaction primarily at most guanine N7 sites in the major groove to a few adenine N3 sites at the 3'-end of poly(A/T) sequences in the minor groove. Carrier molecules discussed for mustards are intercalators, polypyrroles, polyimidazoles, bis(benzimidazoles), polybenzamides and anilinoquinolinium salts. In contrast, similar targeting of pyrrolizidine alkylators by a variety of carriers has little effect of their patterns of alkylation (at the 2-amino group of guanine). Recent work on the pyrrolobenzodiazepine and cyclopropaindolone classes of natural product minor groove binders is also reviewed.

Topics: Alkylating Agents; Animals; Anthramycin; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Benzofurans; Bisbenzimidazole; Chlorambucil; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Distamycins; DNA; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Netropsin; Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; Pyrroles; Structure-Activity Relationship

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Drug Interactions; Duocarmycins; Humans; Ifosfamide; Immunologic Factors; Indoles; Molecular Structure

Adozelesin is the first of a class of DNA-sequence-selective alkylating agents, the cyclopropa(c)pyrrolo(3,2-e)indol-4(5H)-ones (CPls), that have been shown to have of potent inhibitory properties of DNA synthesis. Based on preliminary data from phase I studies showing clinical activity in patients with breast cancer, we initiated a multicenter phase II study in untreated metastatic breast carcinoma. Adozelesin was administered at a starting dose of 150 microg/m2 as a single 10 min infusion per course, repeated every 4 weeks, for up to 1 year of treatment. It was planned that at least 25 patients should be accrued but the trial was stopped early because of slow accrual and lack of efficacy as demonstrated by the infrequency of objective responses. Seventeen patients were enrolled in this study, only 14 were evaluable, the following responses were observed: one partial response (7%), three stable diseases (22%) and 10 progressive diseases (71%). Myelosuppression was the most frequent adverse event; one patient died of pulmonary complications. We conclude that adozelesin has marginal efficacy in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer at the dosage and schedule used in this study.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Breast Neoplasms; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Duocarmycins; Female; Humans; Indoles; Infusions, Intravenous; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis

Adozelesin, a synthetic analog of the antitumor antibiotic CC-1065, is a novel cytotoxic agent which inhibits DNA synthesis by binding to the minor groove of the DNA helix. Preclinical studies have shown a broad spectrum of activity against a variety of murine and human tumor xenograft models. We conducted a phase I study of adozelesin to (i) determine a recommended dose for phase II testing using a 10 min i.v. infusion, (ii) characterize the toxic effects of the drug using this schedule and (iii) document any antitumor activity observed. Adozelesin was administered as an i.v. infusion every 6 weeks. CBC and biological parameters were performed weekly. The starting dose of 10 microg/m2, corresponding to 1/30 the mouse equivalent lethal dose, was escalated, according to a modified Fibonacci scheme, until dose-limiting toxicity was encountered. Forty-seven adult patients with solid malignancies were entered in the study. Successive dose levels used were 10, 20, 33, 50, 70, 105, 120, 150 and 180 microg/m2. The main toxic effect was myelosuppression, which was dose limiting. The maximally tolerated dose was defined as 180 microg/m2. A minor response with a 4 month duration was reported in one previously treated patient with melanoma. We conclude that the recommended phase II dose of adozelesin given as a 10 min infusion is 150 microg/m2, repeated every 4 weeks.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Blood; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Duocarmycins; Female; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Indoles; Infusions, Intravenous; Liver; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Neutropenia; Treatment Outcome

CC-1065 is a unique alkylating agent that preferentially binds in the minor groove of double-stranded DNA at adenine-thymine-rich sites. Although it has broad antitumor activity in preclinical models its development was discontinued because of deaths observed during preclinical toxicology studies. Adozelesin is a potent synthetic analog that was chosen for clinical development because it had a similar preclinical antitumor spectrum, but did not produce deaths similar to CC-1065 at therapeutic doses. Phase I evaluations using a variety of Adozelesin treatment schedules have been conducted. This report describes our experience using a multiple dose treatment schedule. Endpoints including antitumor response, maximum tolerated dose, dose limiting toxicity as well as other toxicities and the recommended Phase II starting dose were determined. Adozelesin was given as a 10 minute IV infusion for 5 consecutive days every 21 days or upon recovery from toxicity. The dose range evaluated was 6-30 mcg/m2/day. All patients had refractory solid tumors and had received prior cytotoxic treatment. Thirty-three patients (22 men: 11 women) were entered onto the study and 87 courses were initiated. Dose limiting toxicity was cumulative myelosuppression (leucopenia, thrombocytopenia). The maximum tolerated dose was 30 mcg/m2/day. The only other significant toxicity was an anaphylactoid syndrome that occurred in 2 patients. A partial response was observed in a patient with refractory soft tissue sarcoma. The recommended Phase II starting dose of Adozelesin using a 10 minute IV infusion for 5 consecutive days is 25 mcg/m2/day to be repeated every 4-6 weeks to allow recovery from myelotoxicity, based on our experience. Additional Phase I and II studies with Adozelesin are recommended.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Duocarmycins; Female; Humans; Indoles; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms

During a phase I clinical and pharmacologic trial, 26 patients with refractory solid tumors were treated with increasing doses of adozelesin by brief intravenous infusion every 3 weeks. Overall, adozelesin was well tolerated. The dose-limiting toxicity was myelosuppression, mainly thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. Nonhematologic toxicity was generally mild, with fatigue (36%), local reaction at the infusion site (24%), nausea or vomiting (20%) and hypersensitivity reaction (16%) being the most common adverse effects. There were no objective clinical responses. The maximally tolerated dose on this schedule was 188 micrograms/m2 with the recommended phase II starting dose being 150 micrograms/m2 on an every 3 week schedule. Adozelesin merits broad investigation at the phase II level.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Drug Resistance; Duocarmycins; Female; Humans; Indoles; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms

Adozelesin, a synthetic analogue of the antitumor antibiotic CC-1065, is the first of a class of potent sequence-specific alkylating agents to be brought to clinical trial. In preclinical in vitro testing, it has demonstrated antitumor activity at picomolar concentrations.. We conducted a phase I study of adozelesin to (a) determine a recommended dose for phase II testing using a 24-hour intravenous infusion, (b) characterize the toxic effects of the drug using this schedule, and (c) document any antitumor activity observed.. Adozelesin was given as a 24-hour continuous intravenous infusion. Treatments were initially scheduled every 3 weeks, but the prolonged myelosuppression observed necessitated a final dosing interval of every 6 weeks. The starting dose of 30 micrograms/m2 was escalated using a modified Fibonacci scheme until dose-limiting toxicity was encountered.. Twenty-nine patients were entered in the study. Successive dose levels used were 30, 60, 100, 150, 120, and 100 micrograms/m2. Prolonged thrombocytopenia and granulocytopenia were dose limiting. No antitumor responses were observed.. We recommend that the phase II dose of adozelesin given as a continuous 24-hour intravenous infusion be 100 micrograms/m2, repeated every 6 weeks. Other potentially less myelosuppressive schedules could be pursued.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Drug Administration Schedule; Duocarmycins; Female; Hematologic Diseases; Humans; Indoles; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

Previous structural studies of the cyclopropapyrroloindole (CPI) antitumor antibiotics have shown that these ligands bind covalently edge-on into the minor groove of double-stranded DNA. Reversible covalent modification of the DNA via N3 of adenine occurs in a sequence-specific fashion. Early nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular modeling studies with both mono- and bis-alkylating ligands indicated that the ligands fit tightly within the minor groove, causing little distortion of the helix. In this study, we propose a new binding model for several of the CPI-based analogues, in which the aromatic secondary rings form π-stacked complexes within the minor groove. One of the adducts, formed with adozelesin and the d(ATTAAT)(2) sequence, also demonstrates the ability of these ligands to manipulate the DNA of the binding site, resulting in a Hoogsteen base-paired adduct. Although this type of base pairing has been previously observed with the bisfunctional CPI analogue bizelesin, this is the first time that such an observation has been made with a monoalkylating nondimeric analogue. Together, these results provide a new model for the design of CPI-based antitumor antibiotics, which also has a significant bearing on other structurally related and structurally unrelated minor groove-binding ligands. They indicate the dynamic nature of ligand-DNA interactions, demonstrating both DNA conformational flexibility and the ability of two DNA-bound ligands to interact to form stable covalent modified complexes.

Topics: Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Base Pairing; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Binding Sites; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; DNA Adducts; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Ligands; Models, Molecular; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes

Adozelesin is a synthetic analog of the antitumor antibiotic, CC-1065, which alkylates N3 of adenine in the minor DNA groove in a sequence-specific manner. Here we tested the mutation spectra induced by adozelesin in the supF gene of human XP-A fibroblasts using a shuttle vector assay. Adozelesin primarily induces mutations via an A --> T transversion and a single base insertion. The A --> T transversion (43/59) was observed at the adenine alkylation site in the 5'-ATTTA* sequence (A* is the site of alkylation). The single base insertion (5/59) was observed at the 3'-side of the covalently modified adenine in the 5'-CTAAA* sequence. The results of this study suggest that the DNA alkylating sequence of adozelesin influences the type of DNA mutation.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Cell Line, Transformed; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Duocarmycins; Fibroblasts; Genes, Suppressor; Humans; Indoles; Mutation; Plasmids; RNA, Transfer

DNA damage that blocks replication is bypassed in order to complete chromosome duplication and preserve cell viability and genome stability. Rad5, a PCNA polyubiquitin ligase and DNA-dependent ATPase in yeast, is orthologous to putative tumor suppressors and controls error-free damage bypass by an unknown mechanism. To identify the mechanism in vivo, we investigated the roles of Rad5 and analyzed the DNA structures that form during damage bypass at site-specific stalled forks present at replication origins. Rad5 mediated the formation of recombination-dependent, X-shaped DNA structures containing Holliday junctions between sister chromatids. Mutants lacking these damage-induced chromatid junctions were defective in resolving stalled forks, restarting replication, and completing chromosome duplication. Rad5 polyubiquitin ligase and ATPase domains both contributed to replication fork recombination. Our results indicate that multiple activities of Rad5 function coordinately with homologous recombination factors to enable replication template switch events that join sister chromatids at stalled forks and bypass DNA damage.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Chromatids; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; DNA Damage; DNA Helicases; DNA Replication; DNA, Cruciform; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Recombination, Genetic; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins

Human malaria parasites, including the most lethal Plasmodium falciparum, are increasingly resistant to existing antimalarial drugs. One remarkable opportunity to selectively target P. falciparum stems from the unique AT-richness of its genome (80% A/T, relative to 60% in human DNA). To rationally explore this opportunity, we used drugs (adozelesin and bizelesin) which distinctly target AT-rich minisatellites and an in silico approach for genome-wide analysis previously experimentally validated in human cells [Woynarowski JM, Trevino AV, Rodriguez KA, Hardies SC, Benham CJ. AT-rich islands in genomic DNA as a novel target for AT-specific DNA-reactive antitumor drugs. J Biol Chem 2001;276:40555-66]. Both drugs demonstrate a potent, rapid and irreversible inhibition of the cultured P. falciparum (50% inhibition at 110 and 10+/-2.3 pM, respectively). This antiparasital activity reflects most likely drug binding to specific super-AT-rich regions. Relative to the human genome, the P. falciparum genome shows 3.9- and 7-fold higher frequency of binding sites for adozelesin and bizelesin, respectively. The distribution of these sites is non-random with the most prominent clusters found in large unique minisatellites [median size 3.5 kbp of nearly pure A/T, with multiple converging repeats but no shared consensus other than (A/T)(n)]. Each of the fourteen P. falciparum chromosomes contains only one such "super-AT island" located within approximately 3-7.5 kbp of gene-free and nucleosome-free loci. Important functions of super-AT islands are suggested by their exceptional predicted potential to serve as matrix attachment regions (MARs) and a precise co-localization with the putative centromeres.. Super-AT islands, identified as unique domains in the P. falciparum genome with presumably crucial functions, offer therapeutically exploitable opportunity for new antimalarial strategies.

Topics: Alkylating Agents; Animals; Antimalarials; Base Composition; Benzofurans; Binding Sites; Centromere; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA, Protozoan; Duocarmycins; Genomic Islands; Humans; Indoles; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Molecular Structure; Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; Pharmacogenetics; Plasmodium falciparum; Sensitivity and Specificity; Urea

There is an urgent need for new anti-malarial drugs to combat the resurgence of resistance to current therapies. To exploit the A/T richness of malaria DNA as a potential target for anti-malarial drugs we tested an A/T-specific DNA synthesis inhibitor, adozelesin, for activity against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro and Plasmodium chabaudi adami in mice. Adozelesin is a DNA alkylating agent that exhibits specificity for the motif A/T, A/T and A. In P. falciparum 3D7 cultures, adozelesin acts as a powerful inhibitor of parasite growth (IC(50) of 70 pM) and is equally potent at killing the drug-resistant strains FCR3 and 7G8. Using a real-time PCR assay, we show that treatment with adozelesin in vitro results in damage of P. falciparum genomic DNA. In synchronized cultures, adozelesin exhibits a concentration-dependent effect on parasitemia and on the development of parasites through the asexual cycle. In asynchronous cultures, parasites arrest at all stages of the asexual cycle suggesting that adozelesin exerts other anti-parasitic effects in addition to inhibiting DNA replication. These anti-parasite effects are irreversible since cultures exposed to adozelesin for more than 6h fail to recover upon removal of the drug. Furthermore, adozelesin is very effective at suppressing malaria infection in vivo; growth of P. c. adami DK in mice was highly impaired by a single injection of adozelesin (25 microg/kg) at 4 days post-infection. These results demonstrate that adozelesin irreversibly blocks parasite growth in vitro and suppresses parasite infection in vivo, suggesting that A/T-specific DNA damaging agents represent a new class of compounds with potential as anti-malarials.

Topics: Adenine; Animals; Antimalarials; Base Pairing; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA, Protozoan; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Duocarmycins; Female; Indoles; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Malaria, Falciparum; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Parasitemia; Plasmodium falciparum; Thymine

To understand how bulky adducts might perturb DNA helicase function, three distinct DNA-binding agents were used to determine the effects of DNA alkylation on a DNA helicase. Adozelesin, ecteinascidin 743 (Et743) and hedamycin each possess unique structures and sequence selectivity. They bind to double-stranded DNA and alkylate one strand of the duplex in cis, adding adducts that alter the structure of DNA significantly. The results show that Et743 was the most potent inhibitor of DNA unwinding, followed by adozelesin and hedamycin. Et743 significantly inhibited unwinding, enhanced degradation of DNA, and completely eliminated the ability of the translocating RecBCD enzyme to recognize and respond to the recombination hotspot chi. Unwinding of adozelesin-modified DNA was accompanied by the appearance of unwinding intermediates, consistent with enzyme entrapment or stalling. Further, adozelesin also induced "apparent" chi fragment formation. The combination of enzyme sequestering and pseudo-chi modification of RecBCD, results in biphasic time-courses of DNA unwinding. Hedamycin also reduced RecBCD activity, albeit at increased concentrations of drug relative to either adozelesin or Et743. Remarkably, the hedamycin modification resulted in constitutive activation of the bottom-strand nuclease activity of the enzyme, while leaving the ability of the translocating enzyme to recognize and respond to chi largely intact. Finally, the results show that DNA alkylation does not significantly perturb the allosteric interaction that activates the enzyme for ATP hydrolysis, as the efficiency of ATP utilization for DNA unwinding is affected only marginally. These results taken together present a unique response of RecBCD enzyme to bulky DNA adducts. We correlate these effects with the recently determined crystal structure of the RecBCD holoenzyme bound to DNA.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Allosteric Site; Anthraquinones; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Catalysis; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; DNA Helicases; Duocarmycins; Escherichia coli; Exodeoxyribonuclease V; Fluorescence; Hydrolysis; Indoles; Models, Molecular; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Recombination, Genetic

Replication protein A (RPA) is the major eukaryotic single stranded DNA binding protein that plays a central role in DNA replication, repair and recombination. Like many DNA repair proteins RPA is heavily phosphorylated (specifically on its 32 kDa subunit) in response to DNA damage. Phosphorylation of many repair proteins has been shown to be important for their recruitment to DNA damage-induced intra-nuclear foci. Further, phosphorylation of H2AX (gamma-H2AX) has been shown to be important for either the recruitment or stable retention of DNA repair proteins to these intra-nuclear foci. We address here the relationship between DNA damage-induced hyper-phosphorylation of RPA and its intra-nuclear focalization, and whether gamma-H2AX is required for RPA's presence at these foci. Using GFP-conjugated RPA, we demonstrate the formation of extraction-resistant RPA foci induced by DNA damage or stalled replication forks. The strong DNA damage-induced RPA foci appear after phosphorylated histone H2AX and Chk1, but earlier than the appearance of hyper-phosphorylated RPA. We demonstrate that while the functions of phosphoinositol-3-kinase-related protein kinases are essential for DNA damage-induced H2AX phosphorylation and RPA hyper-phosphorylation, they are dispensable for the induction of extraction-resistant RPA and RPA foci. Furthermore, in mouse cells genetically devoid of H2AX, DNA damage-induced extraction-resistant RPA appears with the same kinetics as in normal mouse cells. These results demonstrate that neither RPA hyper-phosphorylation nor H2AX are required for the formation in RPA intra-nuclear foci in response to DNA damage/replicational stress and are consistent with a role for RPA as a DNA damage sensor involved in the initial recognition of damaged DNA or blocked replication forks.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Androstadienes; Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Cell Line; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; Duocarmycins; Enediynes; Histones; Humans; Indoles; Mice; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Replication Protein A; Wortmannin

Initiation of DNA replication in eukaryotes requires the origin recognition complex (ORC) and other proteins that interact with DNA at origins of replication. In budding yeast, the temperature-sensitive orc2-1 mutation alters these interactions in parallel with defects in initiation of DNA replication and in checkpoints that depend on DNA replication forks. Here we show that DNA-damaging drugs modify protein-DNA interactions at budding yeast replication origins in association with lethal effects that are enhanced by the orc2-1 mutation or suppressed by a different mutation in ORC. A dosage suppressor screen identified the budding yeast co-chaperone protein Mge1p as a high copy suppressor of the orc2-1-specific lethal effects of adozelesin, a DNA-alkylating drug. Ectopic expression of Mge1p also suppressed the temperature sensitivity and initiation defect conferred by the orc2-1 mutation. In wild type cells, ectopic expression of Mge1p also suppressed the lethal effects of adozelesin in parallel with the suppression of adozelesin-induced alterations in protein-DNA interactions at origins, stimulation of initiation of DNA replication, and binding of the precursor form of Mge1p to nuclear chromatin. Mge1p is the budding yeast homologue of the Escherichia coli co-chaperone protein GrpE, which stimulates initiation at bacterial origins of replication by promoting interactions of initiator proteins with origin sequences. Our results reveal a novel, proliferation-dependent cytotoxic mechanism for DNA-damaging drugs that involves alterations in the function of initiation proteins and their interactions with DNA.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Blotting, Western; Cell Cycle; Cell Nucleus; Cell Survival; Chromatin; Cloning, Molecular; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Deoxyribonuclease I; DNA; DNA Damage; DNA Replication; DNA, Fungal; Duocarmycins; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Escherichia coli; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Genome; Heat-Shock Proteins; Indoles; Membrane Transport Proteins; Methyl Methanesulfonate; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; Molecular Chaperones; Mutation; Plasmids; Protein Binding; Replication Origin; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Temperature; Time Factors

The pleiotrophic cellular response to DNA damage includes activation of cell cycle checkpoints, induction of DNA repair pathways, and initiation of programmed cell death among others. The fate of cells with damaged DNA depends on the coordination of these different responses. The clinical efficacy of genotoxic therapies is influenced by cell fate and thus by how the DNA damage response is coordinated. While a great deal has been learned about how different DNA lesions activate distinct cell cycle checkpoints and DNA repair pathways, less is known about whether the type of DNA lesion influences the qualitative and quantitative nature of the cell death response. To address this question, HCT116 colon carcinoma cells have been treated with equally cytotoxic doses of the antitumor DNA alkylating agents adozelesin or bizelesin or the DNA strand scission agent C-1027. The relative contribution of cell cycle arrest and cell death to measured cytotoxicity varied among the three drugs. Apoptotic cell death accounts for most C-1027 cytotoxicity while cell cycle arrest and cell death both contribute to the cytotoxicity of the alkylating agents. Each of the drugs induces a distinct but overlapping pattern of caspase activation. In addition, the cell death response to these drugs is differentially dependent on p53 and p21. These observations suggest that the type of DNA lesion influences not only the relative extent of apoptotic cell death at a given cytotoxic dose but also the qualitative nature of that response.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle; Cell Death; Cell Proliferation; Colonic Neoplasms; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Duocarmycins; Enediynes; HCT116 Cells; Humans; Indoles; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Urea

Adozelesin is an alkylating minor groove DNA binder that is capable of rapidly inhibiting DNA replication in treated cells through a trans-acting mechanism and preferentially arrests cells in S phase. It has been shown previously that in cells treated with adozelesin, replication protein A (RPA) activity is deficient, and the middle subunit of RPA is hyperphosphorylated. The adozelesin-induced RPA hyperphosphorylation can be blocked by the replicative DNA polymerase inhibitor, aphidicolin, suggesting that adozelesin-triggered cellular DNA damage responses require active DNA replication forks. These data imply that cellular DNA damage responses to adozelesin treatment are preferentially induced in S phase. Here, we show that RPA hyperphosphorylation, RPA intranuclear focalization, and gamma-H2AX intranuclear focalization induced by adozelesin treatment are all dependent on DNA replication fork progression, and focalization is only induced in S phase cells. These findings are similar to those seen with the S phase-specific DNA-damaging agent, camptothecin. Conversely, all three DNA damage responses are independent of either S phase or replication fork progression when induced by treatment with the DNA strand scission agent, C-1027. Furthermore, we demonstrate that adozelesin-induced RPA and gamma-H2AX intranuclear foci appear to colocalize within the nuclei of S phase cells.

Topics: Aminoglycosides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Aphidicolin; Benzofurans; Camptothecin; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; DNA Replication; Duocarmycins; Enediynes; HeLa Cells; Humans; Indoles; S Phase

As members of the cyclopropylpyrroloindole family, adozelesin and bizelesin cause genomic DNA lesions by alkylating DNA. Adozelesin induces single-strand DNA lesions, whereas bizelesin induces both single-strand lesions and double-strand DNA cross-links. At equivalent cytotoxic concentrations, these agents caused different biological responses. Low adozelesin concentrations (e.g., 0.5 nM) induced a transient S-phase block and cell cycle arrest in G(2)-M, as well as increased induction of p53 and p21, whereas a high drug concentration (e.g., 2.5 nM) caused apoptosis but no p21 induction. In contrast, both low and high bizelesin concentrations enhanced p53 and p21 induction and triggered G(2)-M cell cycle arrest and eventual senescence without significant apoptotic cell death. However, in cells lacking p21, bizelesin, as well as adozelesin, triggered apoptosis, indicating that p21 was crucial to sustained bizelesin-induced G(2)-M arrest. Thus, despite similar abilities to alkylate DNA, the chemotherapeutic agents adozelesin and bizelesin caused a decrease in HCT116 tumor cell proliferation by different pathways (i.e., adozelesin induced apoptosis, and bizelesin induced senescence).

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Apoptosis; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle; Cellular Senescence; Colonic Neoplasms; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; Cyclins; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; DNA, Neoplasm; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Signal Transduction; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Urea

To better understand the different cellular responses to replication fork pausing versus blockage, early DNA damage response markers were compared after treatment of cultured mammalian cells with agents that either inhibit DNA polymerase activity (hydroxyurea (HU) or aphidicolin) or selectively induce S-phase DNA damage responses (the DNA alkylating agents, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and adozelesin). These agents were compared for their relative abilities to induce phosphorylation of Chk1, H2AX, and replication protein A (RPA), and intra-nuclear focalization of gamma-H2AX and RPA. Treatment by aphidicolin and HU resulted in phosphorylation of Chk1, while HU, but not aphidicolin, induced focalization of gamma-H2AX and RPA. Surprisingly, pre-treatment with aphidicolin to stop replication fork progression, did not abrogate HU-induced gamma-H2AX and RPA focalization. This suggests that HU may act on the replication fork machinery directly, such that fork progression is not required to trigger these responses. The DNA-damaging fork-blocking agents, adozelesin and MMS, both induced phosphorylation and focalization of H2AX and RPA. Unlike adozelesin and HU, the pattern of MMS-induced RPA focalization did not match the BUdR incorporation pattern and was not blocked by aphidicolin, suggesting that MMS-induced damage is not replication fork-dependent. In support of this, MMS was the only reagent used that did not induce phosphorylation of Chk1. These results indicate that induction of DNA damage checkpoint responses due to adozelesin is both replication fork and fork progression dependent, induction by HU is replication fork dependent but progression independent, while induction by MMS is independent of both replication forks and fork progression.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Aphidicolin; Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle Proteins; Checkpoint Kinase 1; Comet Assay; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; DNA Replication; DNA-Binding Proteins; Duocarmycins; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fibroblasts; HeLa Cells; Histones; Humans; Hydroxyurea; Indoles; Methyl Methanesulfonate; Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; Phosphorylation; Protein Kinases; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Replication Protein A; S Phase; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Tumor Suppressor Proteins

The highly conserved Cdc6 protein is required for initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication and, in yeast and Xenopus, for the coupling of DNA replication to mitosis. Herein, we show that human Cdc6 is rapidly destroyed by a p53-independent, proteasome-, and ubiquitin-dependent pathway during early stages of programmed cell death induced by the DNA-damaging drug adozelesin, or by a separate caspase-dependent pathway in cells undergoing apoptosis through an extrinsic pathway induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cycloheximide. The proteasome-dependent pathway induced by adozelesin is conserved in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The destruction of Cdc6 may be a primordial programmed death response that uncouples DNA replication from the cell division cycle, which is reinforced in metazoans by the evolution of caspases and p53.

Topics: Apoptosis; Benzofurans; Caspase 3; Caspases; Cell Cycle Proteins; Cell Line; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Cysteine Endopeptidases; DNA Damage; DNA Replication; DNA, Fungal; Duocarmycins; Fibroblasts; Humans; Indoles; Multienzyme Complexes; Nuclear Proteins; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Ubiquitin; Ultraviolet Rays

We have found that a cyclopropylpyrroloindole antibiotic, compound CC-1065 (benzo[1,2-b:4,3-b']dipyrrole-3(2H)-carboxamide, 7-[[1, 6-dihydro-4-hydroxy-5-methoxy-7-[(4,5,8, 8a-tetrahydro-7-methyl-4-oxocyclopropan[c]pyrrolo[3, 2-e]indol-2(1H)-yl)carbonyl]benzo[1,2-b:4, 3-b']dipyrrol-3(2H)-yl]-carbonyl]-1,6-dihydro-4-hydroxy-5-methoxy, (7bR,8aS)), forms interstrand DNA cross-links of an apparently covalent nature in HeLa S(3) cells. This compound induced interstrand cross-links at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1 nM/3 hr in whole cells, but these cross-links were absent or marginally low when the drug was added to cell lysates with inactivated cellular enzymes or isolated nuclei, which suggests that metabolic activation of the drug is a necessary step for DNA cross-linking to occur. In contrast, an analog of CC-1065, Bizelesin, which forms DNA-DNA cross-links by direct alkylation, induced interstrand DNA cross-links in both whole cells and in cell lysates. Interestingly, a demethoxy analog of CC-1065, Adozelesin, did not induce DNA cross-links under the same conditions. CC-1065 was found to be extremely potent in terms of concentrations required to cross-link DNA of tumor cells, and this may be related to its remarkable cytotoxic activity.

Topics: Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Benzofurans; Cell Division; Cross-Linking Reagents; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; DNA, Neoplasm; Duocarmycins; HeLa Cells; Humans; Indoles; Leucomycins; Urea

Adozelesin is a synthetic analog of the antitumor antibiotic CC-1065, which alkylates the N3 of adenine in the minor groove in a sequence-selective manner. Since the cytotoxic potency of a DNA alkylating agent can be modulated by DNA excision repair system, we investigated whether nucleotide excision repair (NER) and base excision repair (BER) enzymes are able to excise the bulky DNA adduct induced by adozelesin. The UvrABC nuclease and 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase, that exhibit a broad spectrum of substrate specificity, were selected as typical NER and BER enzymes, respectively. The adozelesin-DNA adduct was first formed in the radiolabeled restriction DNA fragment and its excision by purified repair enzymes was monitored on a DNA sequencing gel. The treatment of the DNA adduct with a purified UvrABC nuclease and sequencing gel analysis of cleaved DNA showed that UvrABC nuclease was able to incise the adozelesin adduct. The incision site corresponded to the general nuclease incision site. Excision of this adduct by 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylases was determined following the treatment of the DNA adduct with a homogeneous recombinant bacterial, rat and human 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylases. Abasic sites generated by DNA glycosyalses were cleaved by the associated lyase activity of the E. coli formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg). Resolution of cleaved DNA on a sequencing gel showed that the DNA glycosylase from different sources could not release the N3-adenine adducts. A cytotoxicity assay using E. coli repair mutant strains showed that E. coli mutant strains defective in the uvrA gene were more sensitive to cell killing by adozelesin than E. coli mutant strain defective in the alkA gene or the wild type. These results suggest that the NER pathway seems to be the major excision repair system in protecting cells from the cytotoxicity of adozelesin.

Topics: Alkylation; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Bacterial Proteins; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Adducts; DNA Glycosylases; DNA Repair; Duocarmycins; Endodeoxyribonucleases; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Proteins; Humans; Indoles; Mammals; Mutation; N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; Rats; Recombinant Proteins; Sequence Analysis, DNA

The antitumor drug adozelesin is a potent cytotoxic DNA-damaging agent. Here we determined how adozelesin affects chromosomal DNA replication at a molecular level in a yeast model system and examined the influence of checkpoint kinase genes, the human homologues of which are mutated in cancer. Analysis of replication intermediates using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that adozelesin inhibited the activity of a replication origin and stalled replication fork progression through chromosomal DNA at the origin. RAD53 and MEC1 protein kinase genes, homologues of human CHK2 and ATM, respectively, regulate an intra-S-phase DNA damage checkpoint and, when mutated, permit unchecked replication of damaged DNA in S-phase. Mutations in these genes did not abrogate adozelesin-induced inhibition of origin activity and fork progression at the replication origin. However, novel replication intermediates indicative of DNA breaks were detected only in the rad53 mutant, suggesting a role for the wild-type gene in maintaining chromosome integrity in the presence of the drug. In contrast to the inhibition of the active replication origin by adozelesin, normally silent origins present in the same chromosome were activated by adozelesin in rad53 and mec1 mutant cells. Thus, an antitumor drug that damages DNA can induce an abnormal replication pattern in a chromosome by activating silent origins, depending upon defects in yeast checkpoint kinase genes, the homologues of which are mutated in cancer. Implications of an abnormal replication pattern for the epigenetic regulation of gene expression are discussed.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle Proteins; Checkpoint Kinase 2; Chromosomes, Fungal; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; DNA Replication; DNA, Fungal; Duocarmycins; Fungal Proteins; Indoles; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Mutation; Protein Kinases; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins

The cyclopropylpyrroloindole anti-cancer drug, adozelesin, binds to and alkylates DNA. Treatment of human cells with low levels of adozelesin results in potent inhibition of both cellular and simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication. Extracts were prepared from adozelesin-treated cells and shown to be deficient in their ability to support SV40 DNA replication in vitro. This effect on in vitro DNA replication was dependent on both the concentration of adozelesin used and the time of treatment but was not due to the presence of adozelesin in the in vitro assay. Adozelesin treatment of cells was shown to result in the following: induction of p53 protein levels, hyperphosphorylation of replication protein A (RPA), and disruption of the p53-RPA complex (but not disruption of the RPA-cdc2 complex), indicating that adozelesin treatment triggers cellular DNA damage response pathways. Interestingly, in vitro DNA replication could be rescued in extracts from adozelesin-treated cells by the addition of exogenous RPA. Therefore, whereas adozelesin and other anti-cancer therapeutics trigger common DNA damage response markers, adozelesin causes DNA replication arrest through a unique mechanism. The S phase checkpoint response triggered by adozelesin acts by inactivating RPA in some function essential for SV40 DNA replication.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Aphidicolin; Benzofurans; Cell Line, Transformed; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Replication; DNA-Binding Proteins; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Kinetics; Phosphorylation; Replication Protein A; S Phase; Simian virus 40; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

Adozelesin (formerly U73975, The Upjohn Co.) is a monofunctional DNA alkylating analogue of the antitumor antibiotic (+)-CC-1065. Adozelesin consists of a cyclopropa[c]pyrrolo[3,2-e]indol-4(5H)-one (CPI) alkylating subunit of (+)-CC-1065 and a indole and benzofurans subunit replacing the more complex pyrroloindole B and C subunits, respectively, of (+)-CC-1065. Previous studies have shown that adozelesin forms a reversible covalent DNA duplex adduct via a reaction between the N3 of adenine and the cyclopropyl of the cyclopropapyrroloindole (CPI) subunit. Gel electrophoresis studies have shown that adozelesin, like all the monofunctional (CPI)-based antitumor antibiotics, has a sequence preference for 5'-TTA-3' [the asterisk () indicates covalently modified base]. Molecular-modeling studies have shown that the bound adozelesin ligand spans a total of five base pairs including the modified adenine. These studies have also indicated that, owing to the orientation of the ligand within the base minor groove, there should be an overall preference for sequences rich in A.T base pairs, thus avoiding steric crowding around the exocyclic NH(2) of any guanines present. In this study, we have prepared and studied, by high-field NMR and restrained molecular mechanics (rMM) and dynamics (rMD), the duplex adduct formed between adozelesin and 5'-CGTAAGCGCTTACG-3'. Previous molecular-modeling studies suggested that this sequence should be less preferred, since the two GC base pairs should lead to extensive steric crowding within the adduct, and this hypothesis has, however, never been supported by DNA-footprinting data. (1)H NMR of the adozelesin duplex adduct has reveals that, although Watson-Crick base pairing is maintained throughout the DNA duplex, there is significant distortion around the central base pairs. This distortion is the result of strong hydrogen-bonding between the amide linker of the indole and benzofuran subunits, and the carbonyl of a central thymine base and second, weaker, hydrogen bond to the exocyclic NH(2) of the central guanine was also observed. (1)H NMR and rMD also indicate that, to accommodate this hydrogen-bond system, the bound adozelesin is not positioned centrally within the minor groove but pushed toward the modified DNA strand. Previous studies on the dimeric CPI analogue bizelesin have indicated the important role the ureylene linker plays in the DNA binding. This study indicates that a similar situation exists in the reaction of adoze

Topics: Benzofurans; Binding Sites; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Ligands; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Nucleic Acid Conformation

Bizelesin and adozelesin are DNA-reactive antitumor drugs that alkylate adenines at the 3' ends of their preferred binding sites [5'T(A/T)(4)A3'and 5'(A/T)(3)(-4)A3', respectively]. We used these drugs to examine the determinants for region-specific damage of human genomic DNA. The distribution of bizelesin binding motifs in several regions analyzed "in silico" correlated well with the experimentally determined lesions in these regions assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) stop assay. In contrast to the typically low motif density, clusters of potential bizelesin binding sites were found in the matrix-associated regions (MAR domains) of the c-myc and apolipoprotein B (apoB) genes. Accordingly, lesions induced by bizelesin in these domains (2.13 and 7.06 lesions kbp(-1) microM(-1), respectively) markedly exceeded lesions in bulk DNA (0.87 lesions kbp(-1) microM(-1)) or in regions with typically low motif density (e.g., 0.75 and 0.87 lesions kbp(-1) microM(-1) in a beta-globin gene and c-myc origin of replication regions, respectively). Consistent with the more frequent, less localized adozelesin motif, actual lesions induced by adozelesin exceeded by severalfold lesions by bizelesin in four selected regions (within the c-myc and HPRT loci). Whereas adozelesin is likely to affect similar regions as bizelesin, adozelesin's more promiscuous binding probably compromises its relative specificity for such targets. In contrast, findings for bizelesin provide for the first time a proof of principle that a small molecular weight drug can preferentially damage specific regions in cellular DNA. Targeting of critical repetitive sequences, such as AT-rich MAR domains, which allow for clustering of drug binding motif, can be the paradigm for region specificity of small molecular weight agents.

Topics: Alu Elements; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Apolipoproteins B; AT Rich Sequence; Benzofurans; Binding Sites; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; DNA Adducts; DNA Damage; DNA, Mitochondrial; Duocarmycins; Genome, Human; Globins; Humans; Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; Indoles; Nuclear Matrix; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; Replication Origin; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Urea

We tested the ability of a series of known genotoxic agents to cause mutations at the hprt locus in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes of cynomolgus monkeys as measured by the ability to form clones in the presence of 6-thioguanine. Ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS, 300 mg/kg i.p.), chloroethylmethane sulfonate (CI-EMS, 35 or 50 mg/kg i.p.), and the Pharmacia & Upjohn antitumor agents adozelesin (1.6, 4, 6, or 8 microg/kg i.v.) and CC-1065 (6 microg/kg i.v.) were all negative in the hprt mutation test. Results with cyclophosphamide (CP, 75 mg/kg i.v.) were equivocal. Adozelesin, CC-1065, and CI-EMS treatments increased the percentage of T-lymphocytes with chromosome aberrations, as well as inducing types of aberrations not seen in control cells. EMS and CP were not tested for chromosome aberrations. We have previously shown that treatment of monkeys with 77 mg/kg ENU substantially increased the hprt mutant frequency, with a lag time of approximately 77 days between treatment and peak MF values. The results of the present study suggest a low sensitivity of the hprt mutation assay to certain classes of genotoxic agents in cynomolgus monkeys.

Topics: Animals; Benzofurans; Chromosome Aberrations; Chromosome Mapping; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Cyclophosphamide; Duocarmycins; Ethyl Methanesulfonate; Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; Indoles; Leucomycins; Macaca fascicularis; Mutagens; T-Lymphocytes

Adozelesin, bizelesin and carzelesin are synthetic cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI) analogs, a class of potent antineoplastic agents modeled on the antitumor antibiotic CC-1065, that specifically bind to the minor groove of DNA and preferentially alkylate AT-rich regions. These compounds were evaluated against fresh human tumors in a human tumor colony-forming assay (HTCFA) to assess and to compare their relative antitumor spectra, concentration-response relationships and schedule-dependence. Human tumor colony-forming units were treated with adozelesin and bizelesin at concentrations of 0.02, 0.1 and 0.5 ng/ml as a continuous exposure for 14 days, and to 0.2, 1.0 and 5.0 ng/ml as a 1 h exposure. Carzelesin concentrations were 0.04, 0.2 and 1 ng/ml as a continuous exposure, and 0.6, 3.0 and 15.0 ng/ml as a 1 h exposure. A response was scored if there was 50% or less colony survival. The three analogs had similar antitumor activity against colon carcinoma, kidney carcinoma and melanoma colony-forming units. Adozelesin also displayed activity against both breast and non-small cell lung carcinoma colony-forming units, and carzelesin was active against ovarian carcinoma colony-forming units. Significantly positive concentration-response relationships were apparent with all three agents. Responses increased from below 15% at the lowest concentration to above 45% at the highest concentration for the three drugs on all schedules (p < 0.01). At the highest concentration, the overall response rate was significantly higher (p < 0.01) with carzelesin on the continuous schedule (71%) compared to the 1 h schedule (46%). However, overall response rates for adozelesin and bizelesin were similar on both schedules (1 h/continuous: adozelesin, 67/58%; bizelesin, 49/44%), indicating that adozelesin and bizelesin are less schedule dependent than carzelesin in the HTCFA. These results demonstrate that the CPIs have broad-spectrum activity against human tumor colony-forming units in the HTCFA at very low concentrations, as well as differences with regard to schedule dependence which may help guide the optimal clinical development of these agents.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Urea

DNA damaging agents induce a conserved intra-S-phase checkpoint that inhibits DNA replication in eukaryotic cells. To better understand this checkpoint and its role in determining the efficacy of antitumor drugs that damage DNA, we examined the effects of adozelesin, a DNA-alkylating antitumor agent that has a profound inhibitory effect on initiation of DNA replication in mammals, on the replication of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes. Adozelesin inhibited initiation of S. cerevisiae DNA replication by inducing an intra-S-phase DNA damage checkpoint. This inhibitory effect was abrogated in orc2-1 cells containing a temperature-sensitive mutation in a component of the origin recognition complex (ORC) that also causes a defect in initiation. The orc2-1 mutation also caused a defect in a checkpoint that regulates the activation of origins in late S phase in cells treated with hydroxyurea. Defects in both initiation and checkpoint regulation in the orc2-1 strain were suppressed by deletion of a gene encoding a putative acetyltransferase, SAS2. Adozelesin also induced a cellular response that requires a function of ORC in G(1). A similar G(1)-specific response in mammals may contribute to the cytotoxic and antitumor properties of this and other DNA-damaging drugs.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; DNA Replication; DNA, Fungal; Duocarmycins; Genotype; Hydroxyurea; Indoles; Kinetics; Replication Origin; S Phase; Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Adozelesin and carzelesin are synthetic analogues of the extremely potent antitumor antibiotic CC-1065, which alkylates N3 of adenine in a consensus sequence 5'-(A/T)(A/T)A* (A* is the site of alkylation). We have investigated the DNA sequence selectivity of adozelesin and carzelesin by thermally induced DNA strand cleavage assay using radiolabeled restriction DNA fragments. An analysis of alkylation patterns shows that the consensus sequences for carzelesin and adozelesin have been found to be 5'-(A/T)(A/T)A* and 5'-(A/T)(G/C)(A/T)A*. A new consensus sequence, 5'-(A/T)(A/T)CA*, has been observed to display an additional alkylation site for adozelesin but not for carzelesin. These results indicate that the pattern of sequence selectivity induced by carzelesin is similar but not identical to those induced by adozelesin.

Topics: Adenine; Alkylation; Antineoplastic Agents; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Consensus Sequence; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Molecular Sequence Data; Plasmids; Substrate Specificity

Two pyrazole analogs structurally related to the antitumor agents adozelesin and U-71,184 respectively were synthesized. By using a polymerase chain reaction approach, both compounds show selective binding to A + T rich sequences exactly as reference compound U-71,184. In in vitro assays, against L1210 cell lines, both derivatives showed cytotoxicity in the pM range, values comparable with the natural target compound (+)-CC-1065. The most active compound showed very high antitumor activity in mice implanted with L1210 cells (ILS% 363).

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Binding Sites; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Leukemia L1210; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mice; Neoplasm Transplantation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pyrazoles; Spectrophotometry, Infrared

We developed a competition assay to compare, in a quantitative manner, the ability of human nucleotide excision repair (NER) to recognise structurally different forms of DNA damage. This assay uses a NER substrate consisting of M13 double-stranded DNA with a single and uniquely located acetylaminofluorene (AAF) adduct, and measures the efficiency by which multiply damaged plasmid DNA competes for excision repair of the site-directed modification. To validate this assay, we tested competitor DNA containing defined numbers of either AAF adducts or UV radiation products. In both cases, repair of the site-directed NER substrate was inhibited in a damage-specific and dose-dependent manner. We then exploited this competition assay to determine the susceptibility of bulky adozelesin-DNA adducts to human NER.

Topics: Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Binding, Competitive; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; DNA Repair; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Molecular Probe Techniques; Molecular Sequence Data

The sensitivity for DNA adduct formation by antitumor alkylating agents (mechlorethamine, cisplatin and adozelesin) of the postlabeling technique and thin-layer chromatography was studied. Three DNAs were used: a double-stranded 20-bp oligonucleotide of defined sequence, calf thymus DNA and murine leukemia L1210 cellular DNA. With high concentrations of mechlorethamine, there was a marked decrease in normal dGp, a lesser decrease in dAp and dCp and no change in dTp. Using 2D mapping PEI-cellulose thin-layer chromatography analyses, it was found that six mechlorethamine: DNA adducts were produced after a short exposure to mechlorethamine. After an extended time at relatively high drug concentrations there was an alteration in the mechlorethamine: DNA adduct pattern that may reflect the conversion of monoadducts to crosslinked adducts. Similar observations were made with cisplatin and adozelesin. When murine leukemia L1210 cells were treated with 50 microM mechlorethamine or 50 microM cisplatin for 1 h, six or more mechlorethamine: DNA adducts and five cisplatin: DNA adducts were detected. After allowing 6 h. for repair of potentially lethal damage, several adducts were no longer detectable and others appeared with diminished intensity. Nuclease P(1) dephosphorylates normal nucleotides at relatively low enzyme concentrations with variation depending upon the nucleotide. In general, considerably lower concentrations of nuclease P1 were required to dephosphorylate the normal nucleotides than to dephosphorylate the antitumor alkylating agent: nucleotide adducts, thus allowing increased sensitivity of the postlabeling assay. The sensitivity of detection of antitumor alkylating agent: DNA adducts in DNA from treated L1210 cells approached one adduct per 10(7)-10(8) nucleotides. These results suggest that the postlabeling technique may be sufficiently sensitive and specific for the study of the clinically effective levels of antitumor alkylating agents.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Autoradiography; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Cisplatin; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; DNA Adducts; DNA Damage; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Isotope Labeling; Leukemia L1210; Mechlorethamine; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases; Thymus Gland; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Adozelesin is a member of a family of extraordinarily cytotoxic DNA damaging agents that bind to the DNA minor groove in a sequence-specific manner and form covalent adducts with adenines. Previous studies employing purified enzymes and adozelesin-modified template DNAs suggested that adozelesin-DNA adducts inhibit DNA replication at the level of nascent DNA chain elongation. In this study, neutral/neutral two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis was employed to analyze simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication intermediates recovered from adozelesin-treated SV40 virus-infected cells. SV40 replication intermediates rapidly disappeared from infected cells when they were treated with adozelesin, but not when the cells were also treated with aphidicolin to block maturation of replicating SV40 DNA. We conclude that the disappearance of SV40 replication intermediates induced by adozelesin treatment was a consequence of maturation of these intermediates in the absence of new initiation events. Adozelesin inhibition of nascent chain elongation is first observed at concentrations above those needed to block initiation. Adozelesin treatment inhibits SV40 DNA replication at concentrations that produce adducts on just a small fraction of the intracellular population of SV40 DNA molecules.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Antiviral Agents; Benzofurans; Cells, Cultured; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Replication; DNA, Viral; Duocarmycins; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Indoles; Simian virus 40; Virus Replication

Adozelesin is a highly potent alkylating agent that undergoes binding in the minor groove of double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) at A-T-rich sequences followed by covalent bonding with N-3 of adenine in preferred sequences. On the basis of its high-potency, broad-spectrum in vivo antitumor activity and its unique mechanism of action, adozelesin has entered clinical trial. We report herein the cytotoxicity for Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells of several agents, including antitumor drugs, combined with adozelesin. The additive, synergistic, or antagonistic nature of the combined drug effect was determined for most combinations using the median-effect principle. The results show that in experiments using DNA- and RNA-synthesis inhibitors, prior treatment with the DNA inhibitor aphidicolin did not affect the lethality of adozelesin. Therefore, ongoing DNA synthesis is not needed for adozelesin cytotoxicity. Combination with the RNA inhibitor cordycepin also did not affect adozelesin cytotoxicity. In experiments with alkylating agents, combinations of adozelesin with melphalan or cisplatin were usually additive or slightly synergistic. Adozelesin-tetraplatin combinations were synergistic at several different ratios of the two drugs, and depending on the schedule of exposure to drug. In experiments using methylxanthines, adozelesin combined synergistically with noncytotoxic doses of caffeine or pentoxifylline and resulted in several logs of increase in adozelesin cytotoxicity. In experiments with hypomethylating agents, adozelesin combined synergistically with 5-azacytidine (5-aza-CR) and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-2'-CdR). Combinations of adozelesin with tetraplatin or 5-aza-2'-CdR were also tested against B16 melanoma cells in vitro and were found to be additive and synergistic, respectively. The synergistic cytotoxicity to CHO cells of adozelesin combinations with tetraplatin, 5-aza-CR, or pentoxifylline was not due to increased adozelesin uptake or increased alkylation of DNA by adozelesin.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Aphidicolin; Azacitidine; Benzofurans; Caffeine; Cell Survival; CHO Cells; Cisplatin; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Decitabine; Deoxyadenosines; DNA; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Synergism; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Melanoma, Experimental; Melphalan; Mutagens; Organoplatinum Compounds; Pentoxifylline; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Increases in peripheral blood T-lymphocyte HPRT mutant frequency may reflect either a number of independent HPRT gene mutational events or clonal proliferation of a single HPRT mutant. Sequence analysis of HPRT mutations in conjunction with T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement pattern analysis can distinguish these possibilities. Our laboratory previously characterized a nonhuman primate model for in vivo mutation studies using the clonal HPRT mutation assay. In the present study we report the use of probes for human TCR beta and gamma genes to characterize TCR rearrangements in cynomolgus monkeys. Together, these methods were used to examine a monkey which exhibited a mean spontaneous HPRT mutant frequency (MF) of 16.4 x 10(-6), compared to the normal mean MF of 3.03 x 10(-6). The elevated MF resulted from the occurrence of a single HPRT mutation in a lymphocyte progenitor cell or stem cell, since T-cell clones isolated from the monkey exhibited a G to T transversion at base pair 539 in the HPRT coding region, and had unique rearrangements of TCR gamma along with an apparent germline TCR beta configuration. In a preliminary in vivo mutation study, the animal was treated with the investigational potent mutagen and antitumor agent adozelesin (U-73975). No increase in HPRT mutant frequency was observed. The HPRT mutant clones isolated after treatment showed rearrangement of both TCR gamma and beta genes. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Base Composition; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Blotting, Southern; Cells, Cultured; Cloning, Molecular; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Primers; Drugs, Investigational; Duocarmycins; Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; Humans; Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; Indoles; Macaca fascicularis; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; Stem Cells

Detection of sequence-specific DNA damage induced by antitumor alkylating agents might provide a mechanism for detecting and discriminating damage specific to one or more of these drugs. Using repetitive primer-extension and human alphoid DNA as a substrate, lesions specific for an activated form of cyclophosphamide, 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide, were detected at 32 of 33 guanines within a 200-base pair region in DNA from cells treated in culture. There was a marked variation in lesion site intensity among affected guanines. For instance, guanines flanked by cytosine were weak sites of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide-induced damage. Damage at bases other than guanine induced by cisplatin, UV irradiation, and adozelesin were compared to drug-DNA lesions induced by 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide. Using this method it was possible to detect, and at some sites distinguish, between cyclophosphamide- and cisplatin-induced DNA damage within WBC DNA from a patient treated with both agents. There was a different damage pattern for DNA derived from cells treated in culture compared to DNA derived from the patient sample.

Topics: Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Cisplatin; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Cyclophosphamide; DNA Damage; DNA, Neoplasm; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Molecular Sequence Data; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Bizelesin (NSC-615291), a potent, bifunctional analog of the cyclopropylpyrroloindole antitumor antibiotics CC-1065 and adozelesin, has been selected by the National Cancer Institute for evaluation as a potential chemotherapeutic agent. All three compounds bind to and alkylate DNA at the N-3 position of adenine in a sequence-selective manner. Bizelesin is unique among the analogs with bifunctional alkylating capability due to two chloromethyl moieties that are converted to the cyclopropyl alkylating species that interact with DNA. A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay and an L1210 cell bioassay were developed for bizelesin and subsequently applied to stability and murine pharmacokinetics studies. Following 48 h of incubation with L1210 cells the 50% growth-inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of bizelesin, adozelesin, and CC-1065 were 2.3, 3.4, and 88.1 pM, respectively. Bizelesin was stable in organic solvents but was less stable in aqueous solutions, with the half-life values obtained in buffers at pH 4, 7, and 10 being 9.6, 2.1, and < 1 h, respectively. By HPLC analysis, bizelesin degradation was associated with the appearance of two peaks, the mono- and dicyclopropyl derivatives formed by base-catalyzed intramolecular alkylation of the chloromethyl groups. Bizelesin and the dicyclopropyl derivative were equipotent in the L1210 cell bioassay. Following i.v. administration of bizelesin (15 micrograms/kg) to male CD2F1 mice, the plasma elimination of cytotoxic activity determined with the bioassay was described by a two compartment open model; the alpha-phase (t1/2 alpha) and beta-phase (t1/2 beta) half-lives, steady-state volume of distribution (VSS), and total body clearance (ClTB) were 3.5 min, 7.3 h, 7,641 ml/kg, and 16.3 ml min-1 kg-1, respectively. The systemic drug exposure following i.p. administration was at least 10 times lower than that resulting from i.v. infusion. Following i.v. or i.p. administration the recovery of material in urine was < 0.1% of the delivered dose.

Topics: Alkylating Agents; Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Leucomycins; Leukemia L1210; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Urea

In this study, we have mapped the intracellular alkylation sites of adozelesin and bizelesin, two potent analogs of CC-1065, in individual genes at the single-nucleotide level. Human colon carcinoma cells were treated with adozelesin and bizelesin, and the position of adducts were mapped within the PGK-1 and p53 genes by means of ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction. The monofunctional alkylating agent adozelesin was found to alkylate genomic DNA predominantly within 5'-(A/T)(A/T)A* sequences. Additional sites of alkylation were observed within 5'-(A/T)(G/C)(A/T)A* sequences; however, these were considered to represent sites of medium to low preference. Bizelesin, a bifunctional analog capable of both DNA monofunctional alkylation and DNA interstrand cross-link formation, was also found to alkylate 5'-(A/T)(A/T)A* sequences. Putative bizelesin DNA interstrand cross-link sites indicated that AT-rich sequences are preferred in the intervening sequence between the two cross-linked adenines. Both six- and seven-nucleotide regions were identified as putative sites of DNA interstrand cross-link formation with 5'-TTTTTTA*, 5'-TTTATCA* and 5'-GTACTAA* sequences being preferred. Non-adenine bases are not observed as potential intracellular sites of either DNA interstrand cross-linking formation or monofunctional alkylation. Thus, the patterns of alkylation induced by adozelesin and bizelesin in genomic DNA are similar but not identical to that observed in purified cell-free DNA.

Topics: Alkylating Agents; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Duocarmycins; Genes, p53; Humans; Indoles; Molecular Sequence Data; Phosphoglycerate Kinase; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Urea

1,2-Dihydro-1-(chloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-8-methyl-3H-furano[3,2-e]in dole (CFI) as a novel replacement of the cyclopropylpyrroloindoline (CPI) alkylation subunit of CC-1065, U-71184, and U-73975 (adozelesin) has been synthesized and incorporated into a series of efficacious antineoplastic agents. A partial solution to an asymmetric synthesis of the CFI alkylation subunit has been achieved by the implementation of an asymmetric hydroboration reaction of an intermediate 3-methyleneindoline (13). Extension to the asymmetric synthesis of the CBI and CI alkylation subunits is presented. The demonstration and comparative study of the sequence-selective DNA alkylation properties of the CFI-based agents are detailed, and the preliminary in vitro and in vivo antineoplastic properties of these agents in the human epidermoid cell lung carcinoma (T222) are described.

Topics: Alkylation; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Boron Compounds; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Duocarmycins; Female; Furans; Humans; Indoles; Leucomycins; Lung Neoplasms; Mice; Mice, Nude; Molecular Sequence Data; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Adozelesin (Ado), a CC-1065 analog, shows significant antineoplastic activity in vivo against several types of murine tumors and human tumor xenografts. Ado is a DNA alkylating agent. One objective of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic action of Ado against the human colon (HT-29, DLD-1) and the lung (SK) carcinoma cell lines. The concentrations of Ado that produced 50% cell kill for a 4 and 24 h exposure were in the range of 0.001-0.02 ng/ml for both colon and lung carcinoma cells, indicating that this analog was a very potent cytotoxic agent. Since most clinical regimens for tumor therapy consist of several drugs, we investigated the antineoplastic action of Ado in combination with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR), a potent inhibitor of DNA methylation or cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C), a potent inhibitor of DNA synthesis. The Ado plus 5-Aza-CdR combination showed a synergistic effect on cytotoxicity of DLD-1 colon carcinoma cells for both a 6 and 24 h exposure. However, combination of Ado and Ara-C for a 6 h exposure showed an antagonistic effect, whereas a 24 h exposure showed a synergistic effect. These preclinical results provide some preliminary data on possible drugs that can be selected for use in combination with Ado in future clinical trials in patients with cancer.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Azacitidine; Benzofurans; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Division; Colonic Neoplasms; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Cytarabine; Decitabine; DNA, Neoplasm; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Lung Neoplasms; Time Factors; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Although considerable work has focused on characterizing the bonding chemistry and sequence selective alkylation of DNA by cyclopropylpyrroloindole compounds, little is known about the molecular consequence of their N-3-adenine adducts in whole animal systems. We have utilized a transgenic mouse system, harboring a lambda phage shuttle vector, to assess the mutagenic potential of the antitumor compounds CC-1065 and adozelesin and, for the first time, to track the in vivo fate of their unique DNA modifications at the nucleotide level. Mice were inoculated with a single therapeutic dose of these agents and sacrificed at either 18 h, 3 days, or 15 days for extraction and analysis of liver DNA. Mutant frequencies obtained from drug treated and control animals were determined by in vitro packaging of the phage vector from genomic DNA followed by a colorimetric plaque assay to screen for phage in which the accompanying lacI repressor gene had mutated. Although undetectable at 18 h posttreatment, by 72 h a 3-fold increase in mutant frequency was observed in drug treated animals such that sequence analysis of drug induced mutations could be performed and a direct comparison made between in vitro and in vivo DNA alkylation. Base substitution involving guanine or cytosine accounted for 64% of the 41 mutations sequenced from drug treated animals. Only 7 of the mutations occurred at a cyclopropylpyrroloindole alkylation site while 23 occurred 1 to 4 nucleotides from a potentially alkylated adenine.

Topics: Alkylation; Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Antineoplastic Agents; Bacteriophage lambda; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Leucomycins; Male; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutagenesis

Adozelesin is a highly potent alkylating agent which has entered clinical trials based on its unique mechanisms of action and broad-spectrum antitumor activity in vivo. V79 cells resistant to adozelesin (V79/AdoR) were not resistant to the alkylating agent cisplatin but showed the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of multidrug resistance. Thus V79/AdoR was cross-resistant to several structurally and functionally unrelated drugs, resistance was reversed by verapamil, and the resistant cell line expressed mdr mRNA and p170 glycoprotein. Also, adozelesin uptake and the amount of drug alkylated to DNA was much lower in the resistant cell line as compared to the sensitive parent. However, even with the same amount of drug bound to DNA (10 fmol/micrograms DNA) the survival of V79/S approximately 15% survival) was much lower than that of V79/AdoR (approximately 80%). Therefore the resistance of V79/AdoR cannot be explained solely by the multidrug resistance mechanism (i.e., lower drug uptake and less drug alkylation to DNA), which suggests that multiple mechanisms may account for resistance to adozelesin. V79/AdoR showed different levels of cross-resistance to several adozelesin analogues. The analogues could be divided into 2 groups; those with very low partition coefficients (log P < 2 as compared to 2.74 for adozelesin) had low levels of cross-resistance, whereas analogues with higher partition coefficients (log P > 2.4) were cross-resistant to adozelesin.

Topics: Alkylating Agents; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Buthionine Sulfoximine; Cell Line; Cricetinae; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Drug Resistance; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Methionine Sulfoximine; Verapamil

U-73,975 (U-73), U-77,779 (U-77), and U-80,244 (U-80) are analogs of the potent antitumor compound CC-1065. This class of drugs act as alkylating agents binding to DNA preferentially. Using the ATP-chemosensitivity assay, this study was designed to compare the potencies of U-73, U-77, and U-80 with cisplatin (DDP) or adriamycin (DXR) in 10 gynecologic cancer cell lines. The mean IC50s were: U-73, 0.173 +/- 0.115 ng/ml; U-77, 0.650 +/- 0.209 ng/ml; U-80, 3.0 +/- 3.0 ng/ml; DDP, 4.40 +/- 2.83 micrograms/ml; and DXR, 0.286 +/- 0.040 micrograms/ml. U-73 appears the most potent analog, being 10(3) to 10(4) times more cytotoxic than DDP and DXR. U-77 and U-80 were somewhat comparable, demonstrating approximately 10(2) to 10(3) greater potency than DDP and DXR. All the cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cell lines were sensitive to U-73, with decreasing sensitivity to U-77, U-80, DXR, and DDP in that order. U-73 as well as the other analogs appear promising chemotherapeutic agents.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cisplatin; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Doxorubicin; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Duocarmycins; Endometrial Neoplasms; Female; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Indoles; Ovarian Neoplasms; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Urea; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Several new antitumor agents belonging to the class of minor groove binders that are able to form covalent bonds with DNA via a cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI) group are susceptible to a multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The multidrug resistant CCHR-C5 cell line was 16-, 23- and 13-fold more resistant to the analogs U-73,975, U-77,779 and U-80,244, respectively, although its cytotoxic response to the parent compound CC-1065 was similar to the response of the drug-sensitive wild-type cells (AuxB1). For a sequence of MDR cell lines showing increasing expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) there were corresponding increments in the level of resistance to U-73,975, arguing that Pgp is the key determinant in resistance of the MDR cells to CPI agents. MDR cells treated with U-73,975 showed diminished generation of covalent adducts on DNA as well as increased resistance to cytotoxicity.

Topics: Alkylating Agents; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; Benzofurans; Cell Line; Cell Survival; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; Drug Resistance; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Leucomycins; Membrane Glycoproteins; Urea

Adozelesin (U-73975) is an extremely potent cytotoxic agent which causes 90% lethality, after 2 h exposure in vitro, of Chinese hamster ovary and lung (CHO and V79), mouse melanoma (B16), and human ovarian carcinoma (A2780) cells at 0.33, 0.19, 0.2, and 0.025 ng/ml, respectively. Under similar conditions, Adriamycin and cisplatin had 90% lethality values in CHO cells of 150 ng/ml (= 249 nM) and 6800 ng/ml (= 2266 nM), respectively. The relative drug sensitivity of the cell lines (A2780 > V79, B16, CHO) was correlated to the relative amounts of [3H]adozelesin alkylated to DNA. The greater sensitivity of A2780 was due to (a) greater DNA alkylation at different drug doses and (b) greater intrinsic sensitivity of A2780 which resulted in greater cell kill at comparable DNA alkylation. Phase specific toxicity studies show that adozelesin was least lethal to CHO cells in mitosis and very early G1. Lethality increased as cells progressed through G1 and was maximal in late G1 and early S. Mitotic cells had lower drug uptake and correspondingly less drug binding to DNA than G1 or S-phase cells. However, based on the amount of drug alkylated per micrograms of DNA, cells in M, G1, and S were equally sensitive. Therefore, the lower sensitivity of M-phase cells was due to lower drug uptake. Adozelesin had three different effects on progression of CHO, V79, B16, and A2780 through the cell cycle: (a) slowed progression through S which resulted in significantly increasing the percentage of S-phase cells. This effect was transient; (b) cell progression was blocked in G2 for a long time period; (c) the response of the cell lines to the G2 block differed. CHO and V79 cells escaped G2 block by dividing and entered the diploid DNA cycle or did not undergo cytokinesis and became tetraploid. On the contrary, B16 and A2780 cells remained blocked in G2 and did not become tetraploid. Cell progression was inhibited in a similar manner when a synchronized population of M, G1, or S-phase cells were exposed to adozelesin.

Topics: Alkylation; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle; Cell Death; Cell Survival; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Duocarmycins; Female; G1 Phase; G2 Phase; Growth Inhibitors; Humans; Indoles; Melanoma, Experimental; Mice; Mitosis; Ovarian Neoplasms; S Phase; Time Factors; Tumor Cells, Cultured

U-73,975 (U-73), a closely related synthetic analogue of the antitumor agent CC-1065, acts by binding tightly in the minor groove of DNA. A comparison was made between the cytotoxicity of U-73 and cisplatin (DDP) on 11 fresh cervical and 7 fresh ovarian carcinoma specimens. The ATP-chemosensitivity assay as previously described (Sevin et al. Gynecol. Oncol. 31, 191-204, 1988) was used to determine the cytotoxic effect of U-73 and DDP. IC 50s were calculated using regression analysis. The mean IC 50s for U-73 and DDP were 519 pg/ml and 2918 ng/ml, respectively, for the cervical carcinoma specimens and 324 pg/ml and 2649 ng/ml, respectively, for the ovarian carcinoma specimens. Significance comparing U-73 and DDP for cervical and ovarian tissue was demonstrated with P < 0.001. U-73 was 4000 times as cytotoxic per unit of mass as DDP on cervical carcinoma compared to over 8000 times for ovarian carcinoma. Based on these in vitro data, U-73 appears to be a very promising antitumor agent for cervical and ovarian carcinoma.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cisplatin; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Duocarmycins; Female; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Indoles; Ovarian Neoplasms; Regression Analysis; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Adozelesin (U-73975) was highly cytotoxic to V79 cells in culture and was more cytotoxic than several clinically active antitumor drugs as determined in a human tumor-cloning assay. Phase-specificity studies showed that cells in the M+early G1 phase were most resistant to adozelesin and those in the late G1 + early S phase were most sensitive. Adozelesin transiently slowed cell progression through the S phase and then blocked cells in G2. Some cells escaped the G2 block and either divided or commenced a second round of DNA synthesis (without undergoing cytokinesis) to become tetraploid. Adozelesin inhibited DNA synthesis more than it did RNA or protein synthesis. However, the dose needed for inhibition of DNA synthesis was 10-fold that required for inhibition of L1210 cell growth. The observation that cell growth was inhibited at doses that did not cause significant inhibition of DNA synthesis and that cells were ultimately capable of completing two rounds of DNA synthesis in the presence of the drug suggests that adozelesin did not exert its cytotoxicity by significant inhibition of DNA synthesis. It is likely that adozelesin alkylates DNA at specific sites, which leads to transient inhibition of DNA synthesis and subsequent G2 blockade followed by a succession of events (polyploidy and unbalanced growth) that result in cell death.

Topics: Alkylating Agents; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle; Cell Division; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Protein Biosynthesis; Time Factors; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Covalent DNA adducts of the antitumor antibiotic CC-1065 and its analogues undergo a retrohomologous Michael reaction in aqueous/organic solvent mixtures to regenerate the initial cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI) structure and, presumably, intact DNA. This reaction, which at higher temperatures competes with depurination of the N3-alkylated adenine, also occurs to a significant extent at 37 degrees C in neutral aqueous solution. Tritium-labeled adozelesin, covalently bonded to a 3-kilobase DNA restriction fragment which was exhaustively extracted to remove unbonded drug, was efficiently transferred to a 1-kilobase fragment upon coincubation for 20 h at 37 degrees C in aqueous buffer. Covalent adducts of adozelesin, but not CC-1065, on calf thymus DNA were cytotoxic to L1210 cells after incubation for 3 days at 37 degrees C, indicating that reversal of DNA alkylation can mediate potent cellular effects for simplified CC-1065 analogues.

Topics: Alkylation; Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Benzofurans; Cattle; Cell Survival; Circular Dichroism; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; Duocarmycins; Indoles; Leucomycins; Leukemia L1210; Molecular Structure; Solutions; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Tritium; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Adozelesin is a derivative of an extremely cytotoxic compound, CC1065. This entirely new class of drug binds preferentially to DNA and facilitates alkylation reaction. In the present study, we used the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) chemosensitivity assay to compare the cytotoxic potency of Adozelesin with that of common chemotherapeutic agents in ten gynecologic-cancer cell lines. Flow cytometry was also used to study its effects on cell-cycle kinetics. The mean drug concentrations required to produce a 50% reduction in ATP levels as compared with controls [IC50] were: Adriamycin, 0.17 +/- 0.06 microM; 4OH-Cytoxan, 18 +/- 3 microM; cisplatin, 17 +/- 7 microM; 5-fluorouracil, 183 +/- 116 microM; and Adozelesin, 11.0 +/- 5.4 pM. Thus, Adozelesin was 10(4) - 10(7) times more potent than Adriamycin, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and Cytoxan. Cell kinetics studies revealed significant S and G2 blocks such as those previously reported for other alkylating agents.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Duocarmycins; Female; Genital Neoplasms, Female; Humans; Indoles; Kinetics; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Uterine Neoplasms

Adolezesin is an analog of CC-1065. These compounds are among the most potent alkylating agents known to date. Currently Adolezesin is undergoing phase I clinical trials at several cancer centers in the USA. While the cytotoxic effects of Adolezesin have been addressed elsewhere, its effects on cell-cycle kinetics have not been reported. Flow cytometry was performed on five human gynecological cancer cell lines: AN3, AE7, BG1, HEC1A, and SKUT1B. Exposure to Adolezesin (U73975, Upjohn Co.) was done at near confluency at 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 5x, with x = 10 pg/ml as reference concentration, for 90 min. Cell samples were taken by trypsinization at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 168 h for flow cytometry. The ATP chemosensitivity assays were performed on the above cell lines to establish dose/response curves. Flow-cytometric analyses revealed that there was a spectrum of cell-cycle perturbations, which included biphasic S and G2 blocks, reverse dose-dependent G2 blocks, and a sequential relationship of S and G2 blocks. This study demonstrated that the cell kinetic response to Adolezesin depended on several variables such as cell lines, drug sensitivity, concentrations, and sampling time. Because of this multivariable dependence and the lack of correlation with cytotoxicity, it would be difficult to use cell kinetic pertubations to predict chemotherapeutic response.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Alkylating Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Cell Cycle; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Duocarmycins; Female; Flow Cytometry; Genital Neoplasms, Female; Humans; Indoles; Tumor Cells, Cultured

U-73,975 (U-73) and U-77,779 (U-77), two analogues of the cyclopropylpyrroloindole antitumor antibiotic CC-1065, are promising novel chemotherapeutic agents which are known to alkylate the N3 position of adenine in a sequence-selective manner. The concentration of U-73 required to produce a 1 log cell kill in 6 human tumor cell lines varied from 20-60 pM. U-77 was more cytotoxic than U-73, with the concentrations required for a 1 log cell kill ranging from 1-20 pM. The cytotoxicity of U-73 and U-77 was found to be independent of the guanine O6-alkyltransferase phenotype. The sensitivity of the BE and HT-29 human colon carcinoma cells was increased when the time of drug exposure was increased from 2 to 6 h. DNA interstrand cross-links, as measured by the technique of alkaline elution, could only be detected when HT-29 or BE cells were exposed to extremely high concentrations of U-77 for 6 h. No other forms of DNA damage were detected in genomic DNA with either compound. U-77 was also found to induce DNA interstrand cross-links in naked DNA, as measured by an agarose gel method. The rate of interstrand cross-linking was extremely rapid with the "second-arm" of the cross-link being completed within 2 h. The mechanism by which these cyclopropylpyrroloindole compounds elicit their cytotoxicity, however, remains to be elucidated.

Topics: Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Benzofurans; Carcinoma; Cell Death; Colonic Neoplasms; Cross-Linking Reagents; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA Damage; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Leucomycins; Lung Neoplasms; Plasmids; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Urea

In an effort to improve the cytotoxicity of clinically used anticancer alkylating agents, the topoisomerase II inhibitory drugs U73-975 or mitoxantrone were added to cell cultures exposed to CDDP, carboplatin, BCNU, melphalan or thiotepa. In the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line and in the MCF-7/CP (CDDP resistant) subline, U73-975 and mitoxantrone were both potent cytotoxic agents (IC50 0.002 microM and 0.006 microM for U73-975, respectively and 0.8 microM and 0.1 microM for mitoxantrone, respectively). As evaluated by isobologram analysis, the addition of either U73-975 or mitoxantrone to 1 h exposure to CDDP resulted in greater-than-additive killing in the MCF-7 parent cells. While U73-975 was also greater-than-additive in cytotoxicity with CDDP in the MCF-7/CP line, mitoxantrone and CDDP were only additive in cytotoxicity in these cells. In the case of carboplatin, the addition of U73-975 or mitoxantrone to treatment with the drug resulted in greater-than-additive cell killing in the MCF-7 parental cell line but in the MCF-7/CP cell line these combinations were only additive in cell killing. Addition of U73-975 to treatment with BCNU resulted in only additive cytotoxicity in both cell lines; however, the combination of mitoxantrone with BCNU resulted in greater-than-additive cell killing in both the parental and CDDP resistant cell lines. When either U73-975 or mitoxantrone was added to treatment with melphalan greater-than-additive cytotoxicity resulted in both cell lines except at low melphalan concentrations in the MCF-7/CP cell line. Finally, the addition of either modulator to treatment with thiotepa in the MCF-7 cell line produced variable interactions depending on thiotepa concentration, but in the MCF-7/CP cell line either modulator in combination with thiotepa caused greater-than-additive cell killing. These results indicate that the addition of topoisomerase II inhibitory drugs may substantially increase the cytotoxicity of some alkylating agents. In vivo experiments are necessary, however, to ascertain whether a therapeutic gain is achievable.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Alkylating Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Benzofurans; Breast Neoplasms; Carmustine; Cisplatin; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Drug Synergism; Duocarmycins; Female; Humans; Indoles; Mitoxantrone; Tumor Cells, Cultured

CC-1065, a cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI), is a highly potent antitumor DNA-alkylating agent. We have devised a simple method to detect CPI bonding sites on double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). The technique utilizes a modified form of bacteriophage T7 polymerase, Sequenase, to synthesize a radiolabeled nascent strand from dsDNA that has been reacted in vitro with the CC-1065 analogue U-73975 (adozelesin). The reaction products were electrophoresed on sequencing gels containing 8 M urea and visualized by autoradiography. The transit of this DNA polymerase is inhibited at the sites where CPIs are bound to the template strand. Thus, the enzyme stalls or stops at the nucleotide immediately adjacent to the modified base, resulting in the accumulation of DNA strands at these sites and in diminished read-through beyond these sites in a set of CPI-treated DNA molecules. The precise positions of polymerase inhibition can be determined by comparison of CPI-treated and unreacted DNA reactions. This modified dideoxynucleotide sequencing technique has been used to establish the sequence selectivity of U-73975. Approximately 1 kilobase of dsDNA has been analyzed to derive a consensus canonical bonding sequence, 5'(T/A)-T/A-T-A*-(C/G)-(G), where A* is the site of U-73975 alkylation and parentheses denote deoxynucleotide preferences. Noncanonical sites were also found at poly(A) sites. This technique yielded a consensus sequence for U-73975 bonding that is similar to, but not identical with, the published consensus obtained for CC-1065 by a modified Maxam and Gilbert sequencing technique. We have also examined the bonding of [3H]U-73975 to the DNA of viable cultured mammalian cells, using gel electrophoresis and autoradiographic techniques.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Alkylation; Base Sequence; Benzofurans; Binding Sites; Chromatin; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA; DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; Duocarmycins; Humans; Indoles; Molecular Sequence Data; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Adozelesin (U-73975) is a potent synthetic cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI) analog of the cytotoxic DNA-binding antibiotic, CC-1065. In contrast to the natural product, adozelesin and related CPI analogs do not cause delayed death in non-tumored mice. Adozelesin, selected from a series of analogs for its superior in vivo antitumor activity and ease of formulation, is highly active when administered i.v. against i.p. - or s.c.- implanted murine tumors, including L1210 leukemia, B16 melanoma, M5076 sarcoma, and colon 38 carcinoma, and produces long-term survivors in mice bearing i.v.-inoculated L1210 and Lewis lung carcinoma. Modest activity is shown against the highly drug-resistant pancreas 02 carcinoma. Adozelesin is also highly effective against human tumor xenografts s.c.-implanted in athymic (nude) mice, including colon CX-1 adenocarcinoma, lung LX-1 tumor, clear cell Caki-1 carcinoma, and ovarian 2780 carcinoma. Its broad spectrum of in vivo activity compares favorably with three widely used antitumor drugs, i.e. cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin. Adozelesin appears to be more effective than these drugs in the treatment of very resistant tumors such as s.c.-implanted mouse B16 melanoma, pancreatic 02 carcinoma, and human colon CX-1 and human lung LX-1 tumor xenografts. Based on its high potency and high efficacy against a broad spectrum of experimental tumors, adozelesin was chosen for clinical investigation and development.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Benzofurans; Colonic Neoplasms; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; DNA, Neoplasm; Duocarmycins; Female; Humans; Indoles; Leukemia L1210; Leukemia, Experimental; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Melanoma, Experimental; Mice; Mice, Nude; Molecular Structure; Neoplasm Transplantation; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Sarcoma, Experimental

The mouse bone-marrow micronucleus test is one of the most widely used genetic toxicology assays. In this report the results of testing 21 compounds in the micronucleus test are presented. Of the 21 compounds tested, 3 potential chemotherapeutic agents were identified as strongly clastogenic. In addition, one compound was identified as a weak inducer of micronuclei in the assay. Further testing of this compound in an in vivo bone marrow metaphase analysis failed to confirm this material as clastogenic. The remaining 17 compounds were classified as negative in the assay. In general the results of the micronucleus test agreed with the results of other genetic toxicology assays on this group of compounds.

Topics: Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Benzofurans; Bone Marrow; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; Cyclohexenes; Duocarmycins; Female; Indoles; Isoxazoles; Male; Menogaril; Mice; Micronucleus Tests; Mutagens; Nogalamycin; Piperazines; Structure-Activity Relationship