Dynamic changes in Rap1 activity are required for cell retraction and spreading during mitosis.

At the onset of mitosis, most adherent cells undergo cell retraction characterised by the disassembly of focal adhesions and actin stress fibres. Mitosis takes place in rounded cells, and the two daughter cells spread again after cytokinesis. Because of the well-documented ability of the small GTPase Rap1 to stimulate integrin-dependent adhesion and spreading, we assessed its role during mitosis. We show that Rap1 activity is regulated during this process. Changes in Rap1 activity play an essential role in regulating cell retraction and spreading, respectively, before and after mitosis of HeLa cells. Indeed, endogenous Rap1 is inhibited at the onset of mitosis; conversely, constitutive activation of Rap1 inhibits the disassembly of premitotic focal adhesions and of the actin cytoskeleton, leading to delayed mitosis and to cytokinesis defects. Rap1 activity slowly increases after mitosis ends; inhibition of Rap1 activation by the ectopic expression of the dominant-negative Rap1[S17A] mutant prevents the rounded cells from spreading after mitosis. For the first time, we provide evidence for the direct regulation of adhesion processes during mitosis via the activity of the Rap1 GTPase.

Cytotoxicity of enantiomers of gossypol Schiff's bases and optical stability of gossypolone.

Optical Schiff's bases of gossypol were prepared with chiral gossypol and ethylamine. As has been similarly observed among the gossypol enantiomers, the (-)-gossypol ethylimine was more active than either the (+)-gossypol ethylimine or the racemic gossypol ethylimine against KB and MCF7 cells. Gossypolone was also observed to be more toxic than gossypol against both cell lines. All of the gossypol products tested showed comparable toxicity toward MCF7/ADR (adriblastine-resistant) cells. Attempts at producing chiral gossypolone from chiral gossypol failed because of rapid racemization. In addition, the Schiff's base derivatives of gossypolone formed with R-(+)-2-amino-3-phenyl-1-propanol could only be separated at reduced temperature, indicating that gossypolone Schiff's bases are less optical stable than gossypol Schiff's bases.

New thioderivatives of gossypol and gossypolone, as prodrugs of cytotoxic agents.

New dithiane or dithiolane derivatives of gossypol and gossypolone were synthesized with dithiolethane or dithiolpropane in the presence of BF(3)/Et(2)O. These thioderivatives exhibited low toxicity on KB cells (human epidermoid carcinoma cells of the mouth). They react easily with electrophiles in aprotic solvents to regenerate gossypolone or to form dehydrogossypoldithianes and dehydrogossypoldithiolanes, which display higher toxicity on KB cells. In addition, the low toxicity of gossypol thioderivatives was reversed by nitric oxide donors in physiological media. These experiments suggest that gossypol and gossypolone dithianes and dithiolanes can be used as prodrugs that target tumor cells surrounded by high concentrations of nitric oxide.