Pharmacological targeting of guanosine monophosphate synthase suppresses melanoma cell invasion and tumorigenicity

Cell Death Differ. 2015 Nov;22(11):1858-64. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2015.47. Epub 2015 Apr 24.

Abstract

Malignant melanoma possesses one of the highest metastatic potentials among human cancers. Acquisition of invasive phenotypes is a prerequisite for melanoma metastases. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying melanoma invasion will greatly enhance the design of novel agents for melanoma therapeutic intervention. Here, we report that guanosine monophosphate synthase (GMPS), an enzyme required for the de novo biosynthesis of GMP, has a major role in invasion and tumorigenicity of cells derived from either BRAF(V600E) or NRAS(Q61R) human metastatic melanomas. Moreover, GMPS levels are increased in metastatic human melanoma specimens compared with primary melanomas arguing that GMPS is an attractive candidate for anti-melanoma therapy. Accordingly, for the first time we demonstrate that angustmycin A, a nucleoside-analog inhibitor of GMPS produced by Streptomyces hygroscopius efficiently suppresses melanoma cell invasion in vitro and tumorigenicity in immunocompromised mice. Our data identify GMPS as a powerful driver of melanoma cell invasion and warrant further investigation of angustmycin A as a novel anti-melanoma agent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Adenosine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Guanosine Monophosphate / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Melanoma / enzymology*
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Melanoma, Cutaneous Malignant
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / genetics
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Skin Neoplasms

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • angustmycin A
  • Guanosine Monophosphate
  • Nucleotidyltransferases
  • Adenosine