Cell type-- dependent effects of Polo-like kinase 1 inhibition compared with targeted polo box interference in cancer cell lines.

Multiple critical roles within mitosis have been assigned to Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), making it an attractive candidate for mitotic targeting of cancer cells. Plk1 contains two domains amenable for targeted interference: a kinase domain responsible for the enzymatic function and a polo box domain necessary for substrate recognition and subcellular localization. Here, we compare two approaches for targeted interference with Plk1 function, either by a Plk1 small-molecule enzyme inhibitor or by inducible overexpression of the polo box in human cancer cell lines. Inducible expression of the Plk1 polo box resulted in growth inhibition of RKOp27 human colon adenocarcinoma cells without obvious signs of mitotic abnormalities. A Plk1 kinase inhibitor in the same cell line arrested cells in mitosis with subsequent onset of apoptosis. Similarly, PC-3 human prostate cancer cells were growth inhibited on expression of the polo box. Prolonged expression of the polo box in these cells resulted in the occurrence of binucleated or multinucleated cells. In contrast, U2OS human osteosarcoma cells responded to overexpression of the polo box with a massive mitotic accumulation coinciding with the onset of apoptosis. Comparison of spindle formation revealed very similar mitotic abnormalities in polo box-overexpressing U2OS cells compared with U2OS cells treated with the Plk1 kinase inhibitor. We conclude that interference with polo box function and inhibition of Plk1 kinase activity can exert very similar phenotypic effects in certain cell lines but highly contrasting effects in others. This may point to subtle differences in the molecular machinery of mitosis regulation in cancer cells.

[4-(imidazol-1-yl)thiazol-2-yl]phenylamines. A novel class of highly potent colchicine site binding tubulin inhibitors: synthesis and cytotoxic activity on selected human cancer cell lines.

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity in the submicromolar range of a series of [4-(imidazol-1-yl)thiazol-2-yl]phenylamines are described. Cell cycle dependent cytotoxicity on RKO human colon carcinoma cells with inducible expression of p27(kip1) and the influence on microtubule formation were investigated. Considering the significant correlation between the IC(50) values of tubulin polymerization inhibition, [(3)H]colchicine competition, and cytotoxicity of the investigated compounds, tubulin is the main cellular target. The inhibition of microtubule formation was shown to be mediated by interference with the colchicine binding site of tubulin. In depth analysis of the investigated compounds allowed the identification of modifications that altered the pharmacological profile of the compounds from a mitosis-inducing phenotype to a G1 cell cycle arresting phenotype.

Molecular alterations after Polo-like kinase 1 mRNA suppression versus pharmacologic inhibition in cancer cells.

Multiple roles within mitosis have been assigned to Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), making it an attractive candidate for mitotic targeting of cancer cells. We have employed chimeric antisense oligonucleotides to investigate the molecular alterations after targeted interference with Plk1 in RKO human colon adenocarcinoma and PC3 prostate cancer cells. Suppression of Plk1 mRNA resulted in a dramatic increase of the mitotic index followed by the onset of apoptosis. Mitotically arrested cells displayed randomly separated condensed chromosomes and the occurrence of multiple spindle poles with well-formed asters. Induction of apoptosis was strictly dependent on cell cycle progression: Genetically engineered RKO cells with inducible expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1) were completely refractory to Plk1 depletion-induced apoptosis when they were arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Various mitotic markers, including MPM-2, cdc25c, cyclin B1, or phosphorylated histone H3, were investigated to explore the molecular consequences of Plk1 depletion. Whereas most marker proteins showed similar alterations compared with treatment with paclitaxel, cdc25c was fully phosphorylated solely in paclitaxel-treated cells but only partially phosphorylated in Plk1-depleted cells, although both treatments caused a profound mitotic arrest. This differential phosphorylation of cdc25c was used to test whether a pharmacologic inhibitor of Plk1 would exert the same cellular effects as interference with Plk1 on a mRNA level. It was found that the differential electrophoretic mobility of cdc25c can serve as a reliable molecular marker to track inhibition of Plk1 by small-molecule inhibitors within a cell.