discodermolide and Breast-Neoplasms

A Taxol-resistant cell line, K20T, which does not express P-glycoprotein, was selected with Taxol from human MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma cells and maintained in the presence of 20nM Taxol. K20T cells were approximately 18-fold resistant to Taxol, displayed cross-resistance to Taxotere and the epothilones, but little cross-resistance to discodermolide. Sequence analysis of the class I beta-tubulin indicated that it harbored an A593G mutation resulting in a change from glutamate to glycine at amino acid 198, which is near the intradimer interface within the alpha/beta-tubulin heterodimer. An HA-tagged wild-type class I beta-tubulin expression vector was transfected into the K20T cells. Immunofluorescence studies demonstrated that this exogenous tubulin was incorporated into cellular microtubules and Western blot analysis indicated that the K20T transfectants predominantly expressed the exogenous wild-type class I beta-tubulin. The transfected cells were only approximately 5-fold resistant to Taxol. Our results, plus the knowledge that Glu198 is the target for other anti-tubulin agents, suggest that glutamate198 in beta-tubulin is a critical determinant for microtubule stability and Taxol resistance.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Alkanes; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Breast Neoplasms; Carbamates; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Dimerization; Docetaxel; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Epothilones; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Glutamic Acid; Glycine; Humans; Lactones; Models, Molecular; Mutation, Missense; Paclitaxel; Protein Structure, Quaternary; Pyrones; Taxoids; Transfection; Tubulin; Tubulin Modulators

[structure: see text] Two hybrid analogues of discodermolide and dictyostatin (3, 26) have been designed and synthesized. These are the first macrocyclic analogues of discodermolide and biological activities were evaluated and compared with linear discodermolide analogues.

Topics: Alkanes; Antineoplastic Agents; Breast Neoplasms; Carbamates; Female; Humans; Lactones; Macrolides; Ovarian Neoplasms; Pyrones; Tumor Cells, Cultured

(+)-Discodermolide, a sponge-derived natural product, stabilizes microtubules more potently than paclitaxel despite the lack of any obvious structural similarities between the drugs. It competitively inhibits the binding of paclitaxel to tubulin polymers, hypernucleates microtubule assembly more potently than paclitaxel, and inhibits the growth of paclitaxel-resistant ovarian and colon carcinoma cells. Because paclitaxel shows clinical promise for breast cancer treatment, its effects in a series of human breast cancer cells were compared to those of (+)-discodermolide. Growth inhibition, cell and nuclear morphological, and electrophoretic and flow cytometric analyses were performed on (+)-discodermolide-treated MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells. (+)-Discodermolide potently inhibited the growth of both cell types (IC50 < 2.5 nM) at concentrations similar to those observed with paclitaxel. Complete inhibition of growth occurred with 10 nM or greater of each drug and was not reversed by removal. (+)-Discodermolide-treated cells exhibited condensed and highly fragmented nuclei. Flow cytometric comparison of cells treated with either drug at 10 nM, a concentration well below that achieved clinically with paclitaxel, showed both caused cell cycle perturbation and induction of a hypodiploid cell population. (+)-Discodermolide caused these effects more extensively and at earlier time points. The timing and type of high molecular weight DNA fragmentation induced by the two agents was consistent with induction of apoptosis. The results suggest that (+)-discodermolide has promise as a new chemotherapeutic agent against breast and other cancers.

Topics: Alkanes; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Breast Neoplasms; Carbamates; Diploidy; DNA Fragmentation; DNA, Neoplasm; Female; Humans; Lactones; Paclitaxel; Pyrones; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Computer-assisted structure analysis indicated (+)-discodermolide, a polyhydroxylated alkatetraene lactone marine natural product, was an antimitotic compound, and we confirmed this prediction. Previous work had shown an accumulation of discodermolide-treated cells in the G2/M portion of the cell cycle, and we have now found that discodermolide arrests Burkitt lymphoma cells in mitosis. Discodermolide-treated breast carcinoma cells displayed spectacular rearrangement of the microtubule cytoskeleton, including extensive microtubule bundling. Microtubule rearrangement that occurred with 10 nM discodermolide required 1 microM taxol. Discodermolide had equally impressive effects on tubulin assembly in vitro. Near-total polymerization occurred at 0 degree C with tubulin plus microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) under conditions in which taxol at an identical concentration was inactive. Without MAPs and/or without GTP, tubulin assembly was also more vigorous with discodermolide than with taxol under every reaction condition examined. Discodermolide-induced polymer differed from taxol-induced polymer in that it was completely stable at 0 degree C in the presence of high concentrations of Ca2+. In a quantitative assay designed to select for agents more effective than taxol in inducing assembly, discodermolide had an EC50 value of 3.2 microM versus 23 microM for taxol.

Topics: Alkanes; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Breast Neoplasms; Burkitt Lymphoma; Calcium; Carbamates; Cell Division; Cell Line; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Guanosine Triphosphate; Humans; Kinetics; Lactones; Microscopy, Electron; Microtubule-Associated Proteins; Microtubules; Paclitaxel; Porifera; Pyrones; Time Factors; Tubulin; Tumor Cells, Cultured