Glionitrin A, a new diketopiperazine disulfide, activates ATM-ATR-Chk1/2 via 53BP1 phosphorylation in DU145 cells and shows antitumor effect in xenograft model

Biol Pharm Bull. 2014;37(3):378-86. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b13-00719.

Abstract

In a recent study, we isolated the diketopiperazine disulfide glionitrin A from the co-culture broth of a mine drainage-derived fungus (Aspergillus fumigatus KMC901) and bacterium (Sphingomonas KMK001). Here, we investigated the antitumor activity of glionitrin A and its underlying molecular mechanisms in human prostate cancer DU145 cells. Glionitrin A showed significant cytotoxicity, promoting cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Glionitrin A-treated cells exhibited elevated levels of phospho-histone 2AX (Ser139), a marker of DNA damage, and accumulated in both S phase and G2/M phase due to the activation of checkpoints associated with the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated and ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated-Rad3-related Chk1/2 pathway downstream of p53-binding protein 1 phosphorylation at Ser1778. In addition, glionitrin A induced apoptosis through both caspase-dependent and -independent pathways. Glionitrin A activated caspase-8, -9 and -3 and also released endonuclease G from the mitochondria to the nucleus in a dose-dependent manner. Our in vivo study performed in nude mice bearing xenografts of DU145 cells showed that glionitrin A dramatically reduced the tumor volume by an average of 38.2% (5 mg/kg, per os (p.o.)) and 71.3% (10 mg/kg, p.o.) at 27 d after the beginning of treatment. Taken together, these findings provide a detailed description of the mechanism underlying the biological activity of the new natural product glionitrin A, which has the potential to be developed as an anti-prostate cancer agent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Apoptosis
  • Aspergillus fumigatus
  • Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins / metabolism*
  • Biological Products / pharmacology
  • Biological Products / therapeutic use*
  • Caspase 1 / metabolism
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Checkpoint Kinase 1
  • Checkpoint Kinase 2 / metabolism*
  • DNA Damage
  • Diketopiperazines / pharmacology
  • Diketopiperazines / therapeutic use*
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases / metabolism
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Phosphorylation
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Sphingomonas
  • Tumor Suppressor p53-Binding Protein 1

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biological Products
  • Diketopiperazines
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • TP53BP1 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor p53-Binding Protein 1
  • glionitrin A
  • Protein Kinases
  • Checkpoint Kinase 2
  • Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins
  • CHEK1 protein, human
  • Checkpoint Kinase 1
  • Chek1 protein, mouse
  • Endodeoxyribonucleases
  • endonuclease G
  • Caspase 1