Protein expression profile of HT-29 human colon cancer cells after treatment with a cytotoxic daunorubicin-GnRH-III derivative bioconjugate

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 9;9(4):e94041. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094041. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents is a new approach for the treatment of cancer, which provides increased selectivity and decreased systemic toxicity. We have recently developed a promising drug delivery system, in which the anticancer drug daunorubicin (Dau) was attached via oxime bond to a gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) derivative used as a targeting moiety (Glp-His-Trp-Lys(Ac)-His-Asp-Trp-Lys(Da = Aoa)-Pro-Gly-NH2; Glp = pyroglutamic acid, Ac = acetyl; Aoa = aminooxyacetyl). This bioconjugate exerted in vitro cytostatic/cytotoxic effect on human breast, prostate and colon cancer cells, as well as significant in vivo tumor growth inhibitory effect on colon carcinoma bearing mice. In our previous studies, H-Lys(Dau = Aoa)-OH was identified as the smallest metabolite produced in the presence of rat liver lysosomal homogenate, which was able to bind to DNA in vitro. To get a deeper insight into the mechanism of action of the bioconjugate, changes in the protein expression profile of HT-29 human colon cancer cells after treatment with the bioconjugate or free daunorubicin were investigated by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Our results indicate that several metabolism-related proteins, molecular chaperons and proteins involved in signaling are differently expressed after targeted chemotherapeutic treatment, leading to the conclusion that the bioconjugate exerts its cytotoxic action by interfering with multiple intracellular processes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cytotoxins / pharmacology*
  • Daunorubicin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Daunorubicin / chemical synthesis
  • Daunorubicin / pharmacology
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects*
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / analogs & derivatives*
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / chemical synthesis
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / pharmacology
  • HT29 Cells
  • Humans
  • Liver / enzymology
  • Lysosomes / enzymology
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neoplasm Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Rats

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Cytotoxins
  • GnRH-III, acetyllysyl(4)-(daunorubicin-aminooxyacetyl)lysyl(8)-
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • Daunorubicin

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the University of Konstanz (Zukunftskolleg, Project 879/08 and Young Scholar Fund, Project 462/12), the Hungarian National Science Fund (OTKA NK 77485 and K 104045) and by Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS-UEFISCDI (PN-II-RU-TE-2011-3-0038). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.