Pectenotoxin-2 represses telomerase activity in human leukemia cells through suppression of hTERT gene expression and Akt-dependent hTERT phosphorylation

FEBS Lett. 2008 Oct 15;582(23-24):3263-9. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2008.08.030. Epub 2008 Sep 5.

Abstract

In this study, we found that pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2) decreased cell viability and inhibited telomerase activity with downregulation of hTERT expression in human leukemia cells. PTX-2 treatment also reduced c-Myc and Sp1 gene expression and DNA binding activity. Further chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that PTX-2 attenuated the binding of c-Myc and Sp1 to the regulatory regions of hTERT. We also observed that PTX-2 treatment attenuated the phosphorylation of Akt, thereby reducing the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of hTERT. We concluded that PTX-2 suppressed telomerase activity through the transcriptional and post-translational suppression of hTERT and this process precedes cellular differentiation of human leukemia cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Furans / pharmacology*
  • Gene Expression / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / metabolism
  • Macrolides
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism
  • Pyrans / pharmacology*
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Telomerase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Telomerase / genetics

Substances

  • Furans
  • Macrolides
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Pyrans
  • Sp1 Transcription Factor
  • pectenotoxin 2
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Telomerase