Human N-myristoyltransferase amino-terminal domain involved in targeting the enzyme to the ribosomal subcellular fraction.

N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT) catalyzes the cotranslational acylation with myristic acid of the NH2-terminal glycines of a number of cellular and viral proteins. Most of the in vitro NMT activity (60-85%) in isoosmotic cell homogenates of human lymphoblastic leukemia (i.e. CEM and MOLT-4) and cervical carcinoma (i.e. HeLa) cells was shown to be associated with the ribosomal subcellular fractions by differential centrifugation. Also found in the ribosomal fractions was a approximately 60-kDa protein that was specifically immunoblotted with an anti-human NMT (hNMT) peptide antibody. This approximately 60-kDa protein was stable in the presence of proteolytic enzyme inhibitors but was gradually converted into a approximately 46-kDa species when stored in the absence of protease inhibitors. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation of the ribosomal fraction resulted in the hNMT activity sedimenting exactly coincident with the 260 nm absorption profile and exhibiting A260/A280 absorption ratios >1.8, indicating an association of NMT with putative ribosomal particle(s)/subunit(s). The subcellular targeting of hNMT was also examined by immunoblotting subcellular fractions from HeLa cells transfected with plasmids containing FLAG epitope-tagged hNMT inserts corresponding either to the originally assigned hNMT gene or to an alternative open reading frame initiated from an in-frame start site upstream from the assumed hNMT start site. Anti-FLAG immunoblotting of cells transfected with a plasmid containing the larger insert revealed FLAG-NMT primarily in the ribosomal fraction with an apparent molecular mass similar to the approximately 60-kDa native hNMT. In contrast, immunoblotting of cells transfected with a plasmid containing the smaller insert identified a approximately 50-kDa FLAG-NMT predominantly in the cytosolic fraction. An analysis of mixtures of CEM ribosomes and serial dilutions of purified recombinant FLAG-NMTs demonstrated that the approximately 60-kDa FLAG-NMT binds ribosomes with higher affinity than the approximately 50-kDa FLAG-NMT. These in vivo and in vitro subcellular targeting and recombinant expression experiments identify a native hNMT that is 10-12 kDa larger than the enzyme predicted by the originally assigned hNMT gene and which is apparently translated from an alternative up-stream start site. The data also indicate that although the unique NH2-terminal residues encoded by this larger open reading frame are not required for in vitro catalytic activity, they do provide signal(s) involved in targeting hNMT to the ribosomal subcellular fraction where cotranslational N-myristoylation occurs.

Inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 zinc fingers prevent normal processing of gag precursors and result in the release of noninfectious virus particles.

The Cys-Xaa2-Cys-Xaa4-His-Xaa4-Cys zinc fingers of retroviral nucleocapsid proteins are prime antiviral targets because of conservation of the Cys and His chelating residues and the absolute requirement of these fingers in both early and late phases of retroviral replication. We previously reported that certain disulfide-substituted benzamides (DIBAs) chemically modify the Cys residues of the fingers, resulting in inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication (W. G. Rice, J. G. Supko, L. Malspeis, R. W. Buckheit, Jr., D. Clanton, M. Bu, L. Graham, C. A. Schaeffer, J. A. Turpin, J. Domagala, R. Gogliotti, J. P. Bader, S. M. Halliday, L. Coren, R. C. Sowder II, L. O. Arthur, and L. E. Henderson, Science 270:1194-1197, 1995). We now examine the consequences of the interaction of DIBAs with the zinc fingers of the HIV-1 p7 nucleocapsid protein and its Pr55gag precursor. In HIV-1-infected U1 cells, DIBAs inhibited the release of infectious virions, and even under conditions in which virion particles were produced, the particles were noninfectious. DIBAs caused abnormal processing of Gag precursors, and the inhibitory effect on processing was not due to inhibition of the HIV-1 protease enzyme or Pr55gag myristoylation. Rather, the defect in processing was due to the formation of intermolecular cross-linkages among the zinc fingers of adjacent Gag molecules, rendering the precursors no longer recognizable by HIV-1 protease. Likewise, DIBAs caused intermolecular cross-linkage among recombinant Pr55gag packaged into pseudovirions, thereby generating modified precursors that were resistant to the action of protease. Thus, DIBAs chemically modified the mutationally intolerant retroviral zinc fingers in infected cells, interrupting protease-mediated maturation of virions and leading ultimately to the production of compromised virions.

Identification and characterization of multiple forms of bovine brain N-myristoyltransferase.

N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT) catalyzes the co-translational addition of myristic acid to the N-terminal glycine of many cellular, viral, and fungal proteins which are essential to normal cell functioning and/or are potential therapeutic targets. We have found that bovine brain NMT exists as a heterogeneous mixture of interconvertible high molecular mass multimers involving approximately 60-kDa NMT subunit(s). Gel filtration chromatography of partially purified NMT at low to moderate ionic strength yields NMT activity eluting as 391 +/- 52 and 126 +/- 17 kDa peaks as well as activity which profiles the protein fractions and likely results from NMT nonspecifically associating with background proteins and/or column matrix. Chromatography in 1 M NaCl causes 100% of this activity to elute as a single peak of approximately 391 kDa. Subsequent treatment of the approximately 391 kDa activity peak with an NMT peptide reaction product (i.e. N-myristoyl-peptide) results in approximately 75% of the activity re-eluting as a approximately 126-kDa peak in 1 M NaCl. Rechromatography also yields small amounts of a approximately 50-kDa NMT monomer which increases with prior storage at 4 degrees C. Up to 5 NMT subunits were identified by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and specific immunoblotting with a human NMT peptide antibody and by cofactor-dependent chemical cross-linking with an 125I-peptide substrate of NMT. The prominent 60 kDa and minor 57-, 53-, 49-, and 47-kDa NMT immunoblotted subunits co-migrate with five of nine silver-stained proteins in an enzyme preparation purified > 7,000-fold with approximately 50% yield by selective elution from octyl-agarose with the myristoyl-CoA analog, S-(2-ketopentadecyl)-CoA. Storage at 4 degrees C also leads to conversion of the larger NMT subunit(s) into 49 and 47 kDa forms with no loss of NMT activity. These results identify two interconvertible forms of NMT in bovine brain that result from NMT subunit multimerization and/or complex formation with other cellular proteins. The data also identify a fully active NMT monomer which arises from subunit proteolysis. This study thus reveals a previously unappreciated level of NMT complexity which may have important mechanistic and/or regulatory significance for N-myristoylation in mammalian cells.

Regulation of HIV-1 gag protein subcellular targeting by protein kinase C.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 internal structural protein precursor, p55, and its corresponding matrix proteolytic fragment, p17, are phosphorylated at Ser111 by protein kinase C. COS-7 cells transfected with plasmids encoding either the wild-type or Ser111-->Ala mutated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gag gene matrix domain proteins were treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), and the phosphorylation of the expressed p17 proteins was examined by radioimmunoprecipitation, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and autoradiography. PMA treatment of transfected cells resulted in a 4-5-fold increase in wild-type p17 (but not mutated p17) phosphorylation; however, mutated p17 exhibited a low basal level of phosphorylation that was not affected by PMA, suggesting that additional sites were phosphorylated. PMA treatment of cells expressing wild-type p17 produced a dramatic shift in the localization of p17 from the cytosol to the membrane fraction within 8-15 min, followed by a slow quantitative dissociation of p17 back into the cytosol by 90 min. The cytosol-to-membrane translocation was dependent on N-myristoylated p17 since cells expressing p17 with a Gly2-->Ala mutation did not localize to the membrane. PMA also failed to induce the translocation of fully N-myristoylated Ser111-->Ala p17, suggesting that p17 phosphorylation at Ser111 was responsible for membrane association. This conclusion was confirmed by the finding of phosphorylated wild-type p17 in the membrane fraction only after PMA treatment. These results suggest that a "myristoyl-protein switch" regulates the reversible membrane targeting of p17 by protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation. This signal may provide a mechanism for the cellular regulation of virus development through modulation of gag protein-related developmental steps such as capsid targeting, assembly, encapsidation, budding, and maturation.

Phosphorylation of HIV-1 gag proteins by protein kinase C.

We have demonstrated that the 17-kDa N-terminal matrix protein (p17gag) of HIV-1 Pr55gag is a substrate for protein kinase C (PKC). Phosphorylation of p17gag and Pr55gag was studied in vivo by infecting COS-7 cells with a recombinant vaccinia virus containing the HIV-1 gag-pol gene. Basal gag protein phosphorylation was inhibited up to 75% with the PKC inhibitor, H-7, and stimulated 3-4-fold with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. In experiments using MCF-7 cell lines, p17gag and Pr55gag were dramatically phosphorylated only in clones with high PKC activity. Bacterially expressed and purified non-myristoylated and N-myristoylated p17gag were efficiently phosphorylated in a Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine-dependent manner by purified PKC. The N-myristoylated p17gag exhibited an apparent Km = 4 microM for PKC phosphorylation. Both in vitro and in vivo phosphorylated p17gag yielded identical V8 protease digestion phosphopeptide maps, indicating identical PKC phosphorylation sites. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the in vitro phosphorylated p17gag revealed only phosphoserine. These data are consistent with the identification of a highly conserved consensus PKC phosphorylation site motif in the HIV-1 gag protein at Ser111 and suggests that PKC phosphorylation plays an important role in gag protein function.

Bacterial expression, purification, and in vitro N-myristoylation of HIV-1 p17gag.

The coding region of the N-terminal 17-kDa portion of HIV-1 Pr55gag (p17gag) was cloned into the pET-3c expression vector and was used to overexpress HIV-1 p17gag in Escherichia coli. Induction of the transformed bacteria caused the accumulation of a 17-kDa polypeptide in the soluble cell fraction which was released by sonication in hypotonic nondetergent buffer. The 17-kDa polypeptide was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and successive chromatography on G-75 Sephadex, DEAE-Sephacel, and S-Sephadex. The final product was purified 12-fold with about a 16% recovery from the original soluble cell lysate and was judged to be 97+% pure by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Western blotting with two different antibodies confirmed the identify of the purified 17-kDa polypeptide as authentic p17gag. In the presence of myristoyl-CoA and bovine brain N-myristoyl-transferase, p17gag was quantitatively N-myristoylated in vitro with a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 4.7 +/- 1.0 x 10(-3) min-1, but with only about 3% of the catalytic efficiency of N-myristoylation of a 16-residue peptide homologous to the N-terminus of p17gag. The myristate group in the N-myristoylated p17gag was stable to treatment with detergent and hydroxylamine consistent with a covalent N-acyl-amide linkage. The N-myristoylglycyl linkage was confirmed by partial acid hydrolysis and identification of the p-nitrobenzylazlactone derivative of the resulting N-myristoylglycine by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Effect of myristoylation on p27 nef subcellular distribution and suppression of HIV-LTR transcription.

The effect of myristoylation on p27nef subcellular distribution and suppression of HIV-1 transcription was examined by transfecting COS-7 cells with plasmids expressing either myristoylated (pSVnef) or nonmyristolyated p27nef (pSVnefala2). Similar levels of myristoylated and nonmyristoylated p27nef were expressed with only the product of the pSVnef plasmid being myristoylated. Immuno-histochemical microscopy and radioimmunoprecipitation revealed myristolyated p27nef only in the membrane fraction while nonmyristolyated p27nef was found distributed between the nucleus and the cytosol fractions. The effect of myristoylation on p27nef suppression of HIV LTR controlled transcription was examined in transient transfected COS cells and in CEM human T-cell clones consituitively expressing either myristolyated or nonmyristolyated p27nef by cotransfecting with a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) plasmid under control of the HIV-1 LTR. In both systems, myristoylated p27nef exhibited a 13- to 18-fold inhibition of basal CAT activity while the nonmyristolyated mutant and the same plasmid carrying the nef gene in a reverse orientation inhibited CAT activity one- to two-fold. These results confirm the cytoplasmic membrane localization of p27nef and establish that its subcellular targeting is dependent on covalently attached myristate. The data also provide further evidence that p27nef acts as a transcriptional suppressor and establishes for the first time that myristolyation is required for the full manifestation of this effect.

Synthesis and characterization of inhibitors of myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase.

Several substrate and product analogs were synthesized and tested as in vitro inhibitors of bovine brain N-myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT; EC 2.3.1.97). At 40 microM, the acyl CoA analog, S-(2-ketopentadecyl)-CoA, completely inhibited NMT in the presence of 80 microM myristoyl CoA. Decreasing but marked inhibition was also observed with the acyl CoA analogs, S-(2-bromo-tetradecanoyl)-CoA and S-(3-(epoxymethylene)dodecanoyl)-CoA, and the multisubstrate derivative N-(2-S-CoA-tetradecanoyl)glycinamide in the presence of 40 microM myristoyl CoA. Inhibition was also observed with the non-coenzyme A myristoyl analog, 1-bromo-2-pentadecanone. All of the above compounds exhibited reversible competitive inhibition kinetics with respect to myristoyl CoA with Ki values of 0.11 to 24 microM. Two additional acyl CoA analogs, S-(cis-3-tetradecenoyl)-CoA and S-(3-tetradecynoyl)-CoA, functioned as alternative substrates for NMT.

P-glycoprotein-independent mechanism of resistance to VP-16 in multidrug-resistant tumor cell lines: pharmacokinetic and photoaffinity labeling studies.

The interaction of etoposide (VP-16), Vinca alkaloids, and verapamil with the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was studied in human breast (MCF-7) and Chinese hamster lung (DC3F) cell lines and the corresponding multidrug-resistant MCF-7/ADR and DC3F/ADX tumor cell lines, selected for resistance to Adriamycin and actinomycin D, respectively, and overexpressing P-gp. Verapamil (10 microM) markedly reversed resistance to vincristine (11-fold in DC3F/ADX and 125-fold in MCF-7/ADR; 1-hr exposure), but it had a very modest effect on resistance to VP-16 (3- to 4-fold; 1-hr exposure). Resistant cells accumulated 2- to 4-fold less VP-16 and vincristine than the parental cell lines. Verapamil (10 microM) significantly increased accumulation and retention of vincristine, but not of VP-16, in resistant cell lines. Photoaffinity labeling of resistant cell lines with radioactive analogs of verapamil [N(p-azido-3-125I-salicyl)-N'-beta-aminoethylverapamil (NASVP)] and vinblastine[N-(p-azido-3-125I-salicyl)-N'-beta-aminoethylvindesine (NASV)] showed distinctly labeled P-gp bands in both resistant cell lines, compared with wild-type cells. Excess nonradioactive vinblastine or verapamil effectively competed with the P-gp photolabeling by either NASVP or NASV, with IC50 levels of 0.6 and 10 microM, respectively. In contrast, nonradioactive VP-16 was 100- to 500-fold less potent than vinblastine in competing with P-gp photolabeling, suggesting that VP-16 has significantly lower affinity for P-gp than Vinca alkaloids have. Taken together, our data indicate that P-gp glycoprotein by itself may not be important in the transport/efflux of VP-16 and, thus, in the mechanism of resistance to VP-16 in these cells.

Induction of a human carbonyl reductase gene located on chromosome 21.

Carbonyl reductase (EC 1.1.1.184) belongs to the group of enzymes called aldo-keto reductases. It is a NADPH-dependent cytosolic protein with specificity for many carbonyl compounds including the antitumor anthracycline antibiotics, daunorubicin and doxorubicin. Human carbonyl reductase was cloned from a breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). The cDNA clone contained 1219 base paires with an open reading frame corresponding to 277 amino acids encoding a protein of Mr 30,375. Southern analysis of genomic DNA digested with several restriction enzymes and analyzed by hybridization with a labeled cDNA probe indicated that carbonyl reductase is probably coded by a single gene and does not belong to a family of structurally similar enzymes. Southern analysis of 17 mouse/human somatic cell hybrids showed that carbonyl reductase is located on chromosome 21. Carbonyl reductase mRNA could be induced 3-4-fold in 24 h with 10 microM 2,(3)-t-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA), beta-naphthoflavone or Sudan 1.

Mechanisms of multidrug resistance in HL60 cells. Analysis of resistance associated membrane proteins and levels of mdr gene expression.

HL60 cells isolated for resistance to Adriamycin do not contain P-glycoprotein, as determined with immunological probes. These cells, however, are multidrug resistant and defective in the cellular accumulation of drug. In view of these findings, we have examined in greater detail certain properties of the HL60/Adr cells and have compared these properties to an HL60 drug-resistant isolate (HL60/Vinc) which contains high levels of P-glycoprotein. The results of these studies demonstrated that verapamil induces a major increase in cellular drug accumulation in both HL60/Adr and HL60/Vinc isolates. An 125I-labeled photoaffinity analog of verapamil labeled P-glycoprotein contained in membranes of HL60/Vinc cells. In contrast, this agent did not label any protein selectively associated with drug resistance in membranes of the HL60/Adr isolate. The photoactive dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker [3H]azidopine and [125I]NASV, a photoaffinity analog of vinblastine, labelled P-glycoprotein in membranes from HL60/Vinc cells, whereas in experiments with the HL60/Adr isolate there was no detectable labeling of a drug resistance associated membrane protein. Additional studies have been carried out to analyze membrane proteins of HL60/Adr cells labeled with the photoaffinity agent 8-azido-alpha-[32P]ATP (AzATP32). The results demonstrate that this agent labeled a resistance associated membrane protein of 190 kilodaltons (P190). P190 is essentially absent in membranes of drug-sensitive cells. Labeling of P190 with AzATP32 in membranes of resistant cells was blocked completely when incubations were carried out in the presence of excess unlabeled ATP. Additional studies were carried out to analyze mdr gene amplification and expression in sensitive and resistant cells. Experiments carried out with human 5',mdr1 (1.1 kb) and mdr3 (1.0 kb) cDNAs demonstrate that both of these sequences were highly amplified in the HL60/Vinc isolate. Only the mrd1 gene sequence however, was overexpressed. In contrast, there was no detectable amplification or overexpression of mdr1 or mdr3 sequences in HL60/Adr cells. The results of this study thus identify a new nucleotide binding protein which is overexpressed in membranes of HL60 cells isolated for resistance to Adriamycin. P190, which exhibits properties distinct from P-glycoprotein, possibly functions in the energy-dependent drug efflux system contained in the HL60/Adr resistant isolate.

High affinity binding of an N-terminal myristoylated p60src peptide.

N-Myristoyl and non-myristoyl peptides corresponding to the N terminus of p60src were used to examine whether N-myristoylation facilitates the binding of p60src to specific protein sites at the plasma membrane. We discovered high affinity protein acceptor sites (Kd = 2.7 nM) to a 15-amino acid N-myristoylated N-terminal p60src peptide in red cell membrane vesicles. Binding was not competed by the non-myristoylated analog of the peptide nor by shorter N-myristoyl src peptides and peptides homologous to the N terminus of other N-myristoylated proteins. Binding was not evident after treatment of vesicles with proteolytic enzymes. Raising the salt concentration of the buffer to 50 mM NaCl caused an apparent inhibition of binding. However, no significant effect of salt was observed on the off-rate of bound ligand under these conditions. The results indicate the existence of N-myristoyl-dependent p60src protein acceptor sites at or near the plasma membrane/skeleton interface of red cells which could be responsible for the localization of p60src to this region and may represent new regulatory components for p60src-mediated tyrosine kinase activity.

Chemical characterization of p17gag from human immunodeficiency virus as an N-terminally myristoylated protein.

The N-terminal p17gag protein of the human immunodeficiency virus has been shown to incorporate radioactivity following labelling of infected cell lines with [3H]myristic acid. We investigated p17gag to determine whether the incorporated radioactivity was the consequence of N-terminal myristoylation. The virus was purified by density gradient centrifugation after labelling chronically infected H9 cells with [3H]myristic acid. The p17gag was isolated by immunoprecipitation and subjected to partial acid hydrolysis. [3H]Myristoylglycine generated by the hydrolysis was derivatized to 4-(p-nitrobenzylidene)-2-tridecanoyloxazol-5-one and identified against a co-eluting, derivatized, unlabelled N-myristoylglycine standard by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. This study unequivocally demonstrates that p17gag is an N-myristoylated protein.

Identification of N-myristoylated proteins by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography of an azlactone derivative of N-myristoylglycine.

A method is presented for the identification of N-myristoylated proteins. N-Myristoyl transferases have an absolute requirement for a free N-terminal glycine. N-Myristoylglycine is released upon mild acid hydrolysis of myristoylated peptides and proteins and its derivitization to a p-nitrobenzylazlactone with subsequent analysis by reverse phase h.p.l.c. enabled its detection to pmol levels. This facilitated the identification of N-terminal myristate in nmol quantities of purified proteins. Using this method we demonstrate that the alpha-subunit of the GTP-binding protein G0 is N-terminally myristoylated.

Effects of indole alkaloids on multidrug resistance and labeling of P-glycoprotein by a photoaffinity analog of vinblastine.

Multidrug resistant cells are characterized by decreased drug accumulation and retention, thought to be mediated by a high molecular weight glycoprotein, P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Agents such as verapamil have been shown to increase anticancer drug cytotoxicity and increase the amount of drug accumulated and retained by such cells. We show here that in addition to verapamil, reserpine, chloroquine, quinine, quinacrine, yohimbine, vindoline, and catharanthine also enhance the cytotoxicity of vinblastine (VLB) in a multidrug resistant, human leukemic cell line, CEM/VLB1K, described here for the first time. These cells express P-gp as a doublet that is photoaffinity labeled by the analog of VLB, N(p-azido-[3-125I]salicyl)-N'-beta-aminoethylvindesine ([125I]NASV). Both reserpine and, to a lesser extent, verapamil, compete with [125I]NASV for binding to P-gp. We also found that chloroquine, quinacrine, vindoline, and catharanthine, each of which enhanced VLB cytotoxicity in CEM/VLB1K cells by 10- to 15-fold, similarly inhibited [125I]NASV labeling of P-gp. However, neither quinine nor yohimbine inhibited this labeling, and the inhibition produced by catharanthine and vindoline was the greatest or exclusively on the lower band of the P-gp doublet. Our results suggest a complex relationship between the ability of a compound to modulate MDR and its ability to compete for binding to P-gp.

N-myristoylation of p60src. Identification of a myristoyl-CoA:glycylpeptide N-myristoyltransferase in rat tissues.

A 16-residue synthetic peptide corresponding to the N-terminal sequence of p60src was used as the acyl acceptor in an assay for myristoyl-CoA:glycylpeptide N-myristoyltransferase in rat tissues. An additional C-terminal tyrosine amide was added to this peptide to facilitate radioiodination and enhance detectability. Reverse-phase h.p.l.c. enabled the simultaneous detection and quantification of the peptide substrate and its N-myristoylated product. N-Myristoyltransferase activity was highest in the brain with decreasing activities in lung, small intestine, kidney, heart, skeletal muscle and liver. Brain activity was distributed approximately equally between the 100,000 g pellet and supernatant fractions. The soluble enzyme exhibited a Kappm of 20 microM for the src peptide and an optimum between pH 7.0 and 7.5. Maximum N-acylating activity was seen with myristoyl (C14:0)-CoA with lower activities found with the C10:0-CoA and C12:0-CoA homologues. No activity was obtained with palmitoyl (C18:0)-CoA but this derivative inhibited N-myristoyltransferase activity greater than 50% at equimolar concentrations with myristoyl-CoA. With a decapeptide corresponding to the N-terminal sequence of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit as the acyl acceptor, the brain enzyme displayed a Kapp.m of 117 microM and was about 14-fold less catalytically effective than with the p60src acyl acceptor. Transferase activity was also seen with a 16-residue peptide corresponding to the N-terminal sequence of the HIV p17gag structural protein. Inhibition studies with shorter src peptide analogues indicated an enzyme specificity for the p60src acyl acceptor beyond 9 residues.

Pharmacological, molecular, and cytogenetic analysis of "atypical" multidrug-resistant human leukemic cells.

We previously described the cross-resistance patterns and cellular pharmacology of a human leukemic cell line, CEM/VM-1, selected for resistance to the epipodophyllotoxin teniposide (M. K. Danks et al., Cancer Res., 47: 1297-1301, 1987). Compared to CEM/VLB100, which is a well characterized "classic" multidrug-resistant (MDR) cell line, the CEM/VM-1 cells display "atypical" multidrug resistance (at-MDR) in that they are cross-resistant to a wide variety of natural product antitumor drugs, except the Vinca alkaloids, and they are not impaired in their ability to accumulate radiolabeled epipodophyllotoxin. We have extended our characterization of this at-MDR cell line in the present study. In comparison to CEM/VLB100 cells, we found that CEM/VM-1 cells are not cross-resistant to either actinomycin D or colchicine. Verapamil and chloroquine, which enhance the cytotoxicity of vinblastine in CEM/VLB100 cells, had little or no ability to do so in the CEM/VM-1 cells. Membrane vesicles of the two resistant sublines were examined for overexpression of the MDR-associated plasma membrane protein (P-glycoprotein, Mr 170,000 protein, or 180,000 glycoprotein) by photoaffinity labeling with the vinblastine analogue N-(p-azido[3-125I]salicyl)-N'-beta-aminoethylvindesine. We were unable to visualize the MDR-associated protein in the CEM/VM-1 membranes with this photoaffinity probe under conditions in which the P-glycoprotein was readily seen in the membranes of CEM/VLB100 cells. Furthermore, no hybridization of the pMDR1 complementary DNA was seen in slot-blot analyses of the RNA from at-MDR cells, indicating that the mdr gene coding for P-glycoprotein is not overexpressed as is the case in the classic MDR cells. However, cytogenetic analysis indicated that the CEM/VM-1 cells contained an abnormally banded region on chromosome 13q, suggesting that a gene other than mdr may be amplified in these cells. Thus, despite the two cell lines having approximately equal degrees of resistance to epipodophyllotoxins, our data indicate that the mechanism(s) responsible for at-MDR is different from that for classic, P-glycoprotein-associated MDR.

Identification of Vinca alkaloid acceptors in P388 murine leukemia cells with a photoactive analogue of vinblastine.

The cytotoxic, antimitotic, and growth inhibition properties of a photoactive analogue of vinblastine, N-(p-azidobenzoyl)-N'-beta-aminoethylvindesine (NABV), and vinblastine on P388 murine leukemia cells were compared. After 72-h exposure, the 50% drug-inhibitory concentrations for exponentially growing P388 leukemic cells were 1.2 nM for NABV and 0.6 nM for vinblastine. The ultrastructural effects of NABV and vinblastine on P388 cells were similar: formation of tubulin paracrystals; mitotic arrest (C-mitosis); increased post-C-mitotic multinucleated cells; increased number of annulate lamellae; and the appearance of intracytoplasmic paired cisternae. [3H]NABV was used to identify Vinca alkaloid binding sites in P388 cells by photoaffinity labeling. After irradiation at 302 nm, radioactive Vinca alkaloid binding components were resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identified in 1-mm gel slices. The most prominent photolabeled species were Mr 44,000, 54,000, and 75,000 polypeptides located in the 100,000 X g supernatant fraction. The Mr 54,000 component was also observed in the membrane fraction. Specific photolabeling of Mr 54,000 and 44,000 polypeptides was blocked in the presence of 20 microM excess of vinblastine and was saturable with half-maximal saturation concentrations of 0.18 and 0.4 microM [3H]NABV, respectively. The Mr 54,000 component was identified as a tubulin subunit by immunoprecipitation with antitubulin monoclonal antibodies. Since NABV and vinblastine have similar pharmacological and biological properties, this photoactive analogue may be useful for identifying important Vinca alkaloid cellular acceptors which may be responsible for drug cytotoxic and antineoplastic activities.

Identification of the multidrug resistance-related membrane glycoprotein as an acceptor for calcium channel blockers.

A radioactive photoactive dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, [3H]azidopine, was used to photoaffinity label plasma membranes of multidrug-resistant Chinese hamster lung cells selected for resistance to vincristine (DC-3F/VCRd-5L) or actinomycin D (DC-3F/ADX). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic fluorograms revealed the presence of an intensely radiolabeled 150-180-kDa doublet in the membranes from drug-resistant but not from the drug-sensitive parental (DC-3F) cells. A similar radiolabeled doublet was barely detected in a drug-sensitive partial revertant (DC-3F/ADX-U) cell line. The 150-180-kDa doublet exhibited a specific half-maximal saturable photolabeling at 1.07 X 10(-7) M [3H]azidopine. The dihydropyridine binding specificity was established by competitive blocking of specific photolabeling with nonradioactive azidopine as well as with nonphotoactive calcium channel blockers nimodipine, nitrendipine, and nifedipine. In addition, [3H]azidopine photolabeling was blocked by verapamil and diltiazem but was stimulated by excess prenylamine and bepridil suggesting a cross-specificity for up to four different classes of calcium channel blockers. The 150-180-kDa calcium channel blocker acceptor co-electrophoresed exactly with the 150-180-kDa surface membrane glycoprotein (gp150-180 or P-glycoprotein) Vinca alkaloid acceptor from multidrug-resistant cells and was immunoprecipitated by polyclonal antibody recognizing gp150-180. [3H]Azidopine photolabeling of the 150-180-kDa component in the presence of excess vinblastine was reduced over 90%, confirming the identity or close relationship of the calcium channel blocker acceptor and the gp150-180 Vinca alkaloid acceptor. The [3H]azidopine photolabeling of gp150-180 also was reduced by excess actinomycin D, adriamycin, or colchicine, demonstrating a broad gp150-180 drug recognition capacity. The ability of gp150-180 to recognize multiple natural product cytotoxic drugs as well as calcium channel blockers suggests a direct function for gp150-180 in the multidrug resistance phenomenon and a role in the circumvention of that resistance by calcium channel blockers.