tiazofurin and Neuroblastoma

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a calcium-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the transamidation of specific polypeptide-bound glutamine residues, a reaction that is inhibited by GTP. There is also preliminary evidence that, in situ, calpain and GTP may regulate tTG indirectly by modulating its turnover by the calcium-activated protease calpain. In the present study, the in vitro and in situ proteolysis of tTG by calpain, and modulation of this process by GTP, was examined. tTG is an excellent substrate for calpain and is rapidly degraded. Previously it has been demonstrated that GTP binding protects tTG from degradation by trypsin. In a similar manner, guanosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) protects tTG against proteolysis by calpain. Treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with 1 nM maitotoxin, which increases intracellular calcium levels, resulted in a significant increase in in situ TG activity, with only a slight decrease in tTG protein levels. In contrast, when GTP levels were depleted by pretreating the cells with tiazofurin, maitotoxin treatment resulted in an approximately 50% decrease in tTG protein levels, and a significant decrease in TG activity, compared with maitotoxin treatment alone. Addition of calpain inhibitors inhibited the degradation of tTG in response to the combined treatment of maitotoxin and tiazofurin and resulted in a significant increase in in situ TG activity. These studies indicate that tTG is an endogenous substrate of calpain and that GTP selectively inhibits the degradation of tTG by calpain.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Calcium; Calpain; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; Cyclins; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; Diazomethane; Enzyme Inhibitors; Enzyme Precursors; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Humans; Marine Toxins; Neuroblastoma; Oligopeptides; Oxocins; Ribavirin; Substrate Specificity; tau Proteins; Transglutaminases; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The activity of IMP dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.14), the key enzyme of de novo guanylate biosynthesis, was shown to be increased in tumor cells. Tiazofurin (TR), a potent and specific inhibitor of this enzyme, proved to be effective in the treatment of refractory granulocytic leukemia in blast crisis. We examined the effects of tiazofurin as a single agent and in combination with hypoxanthine and allopurinol in six different neuroectodermal tumor cell lines, the STA-BT-3 and 146-18 human glioblastoma cell lines, the SK-N-SH, LA-N-1 and LA-N-5 human neuroblastoma cell lines, and the STA-ET-1 Ewing tumor cell line. Tiazofurin inhibited tumor cell growth with IC50 values between 2.2 microM (LA-N-1 cell line) and 550 microM (LA-N-5 cells) and caused a significant decrease of intracellular GTP pools (GTP concentrations decreased to 39-79% of control). Incorporation of [8-14C]guanine into GTP pools was determined as a measure of guanylate salvage activity; incubation with 100 microM hypoxanthine caused a 62-96% inhibition of the salvage pathway. Incubation with tiazofurin (100 microM) and hypoxanthine (100 microM) synergistically inhibited tumor cell growth, and the addition of allopurinol (100 microM) strengthened these effects. Therefore, this drug combination, inhibiting guanylate de novo and salvage pathways, may prove useful in the treatment of human neuroectodermal tumors.

Topics: Allopurinol; Cell Division; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Synergism; Guanosine Monophosphate; Humans; Hypoxanthine; Hypoxanthines; IMP Dehydrogenase; Neuroblastoma; Ribavirin; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The IMP dehydrogenase inhibitor, tiazofurin (TR)-2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide, which exhibited oncolytic activity in patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) in blast crisis was found to inhibit the growth of human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells with an IC50 of 4.2 microM. TR treatment of cells perturbed nucleic acid and catecholamine pathways. As biochemical markers of TR action decreased cellular GTP pools, increased inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations and depleted dopamine content were found. Incubation of tumour specimens obtained from paediatric patients with grade-IV neuroblastoma with TR resulted in the formation of the active metabolite, thiazole-4-carboxamide adenine dinucleotide, in concentrations sufficient to inhibit tumour growth. Cytotoxic and biochemical effects of TR were enhanced by combining it with allopurinol (an inhibitor of xanthine dehydrogenase), and hypoxanthine (an alternate substrate for hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase). Induction of transdifferentiation of SK-N-SH cells from a neuroblast to an epitheloid, substrate-adherent phenotype was more pronounced with TR than with all-trans-retinoic acid. Transdifferentiating treatment with TR resulted in a 2-fold-enhanced sensitivity towards adriamycin. However, differentiation with all-trans-retinoic acid rendered the cells more resistant to adriamycin. Our results suggest that TR might be a promising agent for the treatment of children suffering from neuroblastoma.

Topics: Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Catecholamines; Cell Differentiation; Cell Survival; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Monophenol Monooxygenase; Neuroblastoma; Pteridines; Purines; Ribavirin; Tumor Cells, Cultured

GTP cyclohydrolase I exhibits a positive homotropic cooperative binding to GTP, which raises the possibility of a role for GTP in regulating the enzyme reaction (Hatakeyama, K., Harada, T., Suzuki, S., Watanabe, Y., and Kagamiyama, H. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 21660-21664). We examined whether or not the intracellular GTP level is within the range of affecting GTP cyclohydrolase I activity, using PC-12 rat pheochromocytoma and IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cells. Since GTP cyclohydrolase I was the rate-limiting enzyme for the biosynthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin in these cell lines, the intracellular activities of this enzyme were reflected in the tetrahydrobiopterin contents. We found that the addition of guanine or guanosine increased GTP but not tetrahydrobiopterin in these cells. On the other hand, three IMP dehydrogenase inhibitors, tiazofurin, 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole, and mycophenolic acid, decreased both GTP and tetrahydrobiopterin in a parallel and dose-dependent manner, and these effects were reversed by the simultaneous addition of guanine or guanosine. There was no evidence suggesting that these inhibitors inhibited other enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and regeneration of tetrahydrobiopterin. Comparing intracellular activities of GTP cyclohydrolase I in the inhibitor-treated cells with its substrate-velocity curve, we estimated that the intracellular concentration of free GTP is 150 microM at which point the activity of GTP cyclohydrolase I is elicited at its maximum velocity. Below this GTP concentration, GTP cyclohydrolase I activity is rapidly decreased. Therefore GTP can be a regulator for tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Biopterins; GTP Cyclohydrolase; Guanine; Guanosine; Guanosine Triphosphate; Humans; IMP Dehydrogenase; Kinetics; Mycophenolic Acid; Neuroblastoma; PC12 Cells; Ribavirin; Thiadiazoles; Tumor Cells, Cultured