Anticancer Drug Doxorubicin Spontaneously Reacts with GTP and dGTP

Chem Res Toxicol. 2023 Apr 17;36(4):660-668. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00367. Epub 2023 Mar 31.

Abstract

Here, we reported a spontaneous reaction between anticancer drug doxorubicin and GTP or dGTP. Incubation of doxorubicin with GTP or dGTP at 37 °C or above yields a covalent product: the doxorubicin-GTP or -dGTP conjugate where a covalent bond is formed between the C14 position of doxorubicin and the 2-amino group of guanine. Density functional theory calculations show the feasibility of this spontaneous reaction. Fluorescence imaging studies demonstrate that the doxorubicin-GTP and -dGTP conjugates cannot enter nuclei although they rapidly accumulate in human SK-OV-3 and NCI/ADR-RES cells. Consequently, the doxorubicin-GTP and -dGTP conjugates are less cytotoxic than doxorubicin. We also demonstrate that doxorubicin binds to ATP, GTP, and other nucleotides with a dissociation constant (Kd) in the sub-millimolar range. Since human cells contain millimolar levels of ATP and GTP, these results suggest that doxorubicin may target ATP and GTP, energy molecules that support essential processes in living organisms.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / pharmacology
  • Deoxyguanine Nucleotides / metabolism
  • Doxorubicin / pharmacology
  • Guanosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Humans

Substances

  • deoxyguanosine triphosphate
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Doxorubicin
  • Deoxyguanine Nucleotides
  • Guanosine Triphosphate
  • Adenosine Triphosphate