Isolation, and biological properties of a new cell cycle inhibitor, curvularol, isolated from Curvularia sp. RK97-F166.

A new cell growth inhibitor, curvularol, was isolated from the fermentation broth of Curvularia sp. RK97-F166. Curvularol showed no antibacterial activity, and very weak antifungal activity. However, curvularol inhibited the cell cycle progression of normal rat kidney (NRK) cells in G1 phase at 150 ng/ml. Curvularol induced the morphological reversion of srcts-transformed NRK cells at 100 ng/ml, and inhibited protein synthesis same as cycloheximide.

Activation of MST/Krs and c-Jun N-terminal kinases by different signaling pathways during cytotrienin A-induced apoptosis.

We found that antitumor drugs such as cytotrienin A, camptothecin, taxol, and 5-fluorouracil induced the activation of a 36-kDa protein kinase (p36 myelin basic protein (MBP) kinase) during apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. This p36 MBP kinase, which phosphorylates MBP in an in-gel kinase assay, results from the caspase-3-mediated proteolytic cleavage of MST/Krs protein, a mammalian Ste20-like serine/threonine kinase. Herein the correlation between cytotrienin A-induced apoptosis and the activation of MST/Krs proteins was examined in human tumor cell lines, including leukemia-, lung-, epidermoid-, cervix-, stomach-, and brain-derived cell lines. In cytotrienin A-sensitive cell lines, we observed a strong activation of p36 MBP kinase by cleavage of the C-terminal regulatory domain of full-length MST/Krs proteins by caspase-3. When the kinase-inactive mutant form of MST/Krs protein was overexpressed in cytotrienin A-sensitive HL-60 cells, the cytotrienin A-induced apoptosis was partially inhibited. Because cytotrienin A also activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase, we examined the effect of the expression of dominant negative c-Jun on cytotrienin A-induced apoptosis. The expression of dominant negative c-Jun also partially inhibited cytotrienin A-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, coexpression of kinase-inactive MST/Krs protein and dominant negative c-Jun completely suppressed cytotrienin A-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that the proteolytic activation of MST/Krs and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation are involved in cytotrienin A-induced apoptosis in human tumor cell lines.

Caspase-mediated activation of a 36-kDa myelin basic protein kinase during anticancer drug-induced apoptosis.

A novel anticancer drug, cytotrienin A, isolated from Streptomyces sp., induces apoptosis (or programmed cell death) in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells within 4 h. To elucidate the mechanism of this process, we performed an in-gel kinase assay using myelin basic protein (MBP) as a substrate and found the activation of kinase with an apparent molecular mass of 36 kDa (p36 MBP kinase). The dose of cytotrienin A required to activate p36 MBP kinase was consistent with that required to induce apoptotic DNA fragmentation in HL-60 cells. This p36 MBP kinase was activated with kinetics distinct from the activation of JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase)/stress-activated protein kinase and p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase). Importantly, the p36 MBP kinase was immunologically different from MAPK superfamily molecules such as ERK1, JNK isoforms, and p38 MAPK. In addition, the p36 MBP kinase activation and apoptotic DNA fragmentation were inhibited by antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine and reduced-form glutathione. The p36 MBP kinase activation was also observed during hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and okadaic acid-induced apoptosis. Although a specific inhibitor of caspase-3-like proteases (Ac-DEVD-CHO) or a specific inhibitor of caspase-1-like proteases (Ac-YVAD-CHO) did not block the cytotrienin A-, H2O2-, or okadaic acid-induced apoptosis, a broad specificity inhibitor of caspases (Z-Asp-CH2-DCB) strongly inhibited the apoptosis of HL-60 cells. Surprisingly, Z-Asp-CH2-DCB inhibited the activation of p36 MBP kinase induced by cytotrienin A or H2O2, but did not inhibit the activation of JNK/stress-activated protein kinase and p38 MAPK. Taken together, these results indicate that p36 MBP kinase activation is downstream of the activation of Z-Asp-CH2-DCB-sensitive caspases, and reactive oxygen species could be included in the apoptotic events. Moreover, according to the Western blotting using the antibodies against MST1/Krs2 or MST2/Krs1, it is suggested that the p36 MBP kinase is an active proteolytic product of MST1/Krs2 and MST2/Krs1, which are originally cloned by virtue of its homology to the budding yeast Ste20 kinase. Thus, the p36 MBP kinase might be a common component of the diverse signaling pathways leading to apoptosis, and controlling this p36 MBP kinase pathway might be a novel strategy for cancer chemotherapy.

Inhibition of cyclin D1 expression and phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein by phosmidosine, a nucleotide antibiotic.

In this report, we studied the effect of phosmidosine, a proline-containing nucleotide on the serum-induced cell cycle progression in human lung fibroblast WI-38 cells. Phosmidosine suppressed S-phase entry and arrested cell cycle progression at the G1 phase. In serum-stimulated cells, phosmidosine did not affect the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. However, phosmidosine inhibited hyperphosphorylation of retinoblastoma (RB) protein by RB-kinases such as cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and cyclin-dependent kinase 2, probably as a result of the inhibition of cyclin D1 expression. Furthermore, in tsFT210 cells, a temperature-sensitive cdc2 mutant isolated from the mouse mammary carcinoma cell line FM3A, phosmidosine, irreversibly inhibited the cell cycle progression at G1 without affecting the G2 to M transition. Phosmidosine acts at an earlier point in G1 compared with mimosine or aphidicolin, well-known cell cycle blockers at the G1-S boundary. Taken together, phosmidosine arrested cells at a specific point between the start point and restriction point in G1 and is a useful drug that may contribute to the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of G1 progression.

Selective inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor autophosphorylation and PDGF-mediated cellular events by a quinoline derivative.

This report describes the biological effects of our original compound, Ki6783 ((3,4-dimethoxy)-4-phenoxy-6,7-dimethoxyquinoline), a potent and selective inhibitor of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor autophosphorylation. This compound strongly inhibited autophosphorylation of the PDGF beta-receptor in cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells (MC) bearing this receptor (IC50 0.1 microM), although it did not inhibit autophosphorylation of other growth factor receptors even at 100 microM. In a cell-free kinase experiment, it showed selective inhibition of PDGF beta-receptor tyrosine kinase. A kinetic study of the compound to this tyrosine kinase revealed a competitive mode of action to ATP. [3H]Thymidine incorporation and cell proliferation of MC were inhibited by Ki6783 in a dose-dependent manner after Ki6783 and PDGF-BB were added to the culture medium. Furthermore, this compound normalized the fibrotic cell shape of v-sis-transformed NIH3T3 cells, which grow in an autocrine manner via the PDGF receptor. These effects could be explained by the inhibition of intracellular signal transduction triggered by PDGF receptor autophosphorylation, in which activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase occurs. These results suggest that Ki6783 is one of the more potent and selective inhibitors of PDGF receptor autophosphorylation and that it may be useful in ameliorating cell abnormalities due to excess action of PDGF and its receptor systems in several diseases.

Screening of cell cycle inhibitors from microbial metabolites by a bioassay using a mouse cdc2 mutant cell line, tsFT210.

We have established a bioassay system using a mouse cdc2 mutant cell line, tsFT210, to detect inhibitors of the mammalian cell cycle. When cultured at the high temperature, restrictive temperature at 39.4 degrees C, tsFT210 cells can be arrested at G2 phase and are large in size. Four hours after release from G2 arrest, the cells entered into the G1 phase. At this time, G1 phase cells were easily discriminated from the G2/M-cells by their size under microscopic observation. The cell-morphology-based bioassay utilizing tsFT210 cells is very simple and sensitive for detecting cdc2 kinase inhibitors and also G2/M-phase inhibitors of the mammalian cell cycle. To demonstrate the merits of this bioassay, the effects of protein kinase inhibitors isolated from actinomycetes were investigated. RK-286C and RK-1409, which are structurally related to staurosporine, inhibited cell cycle progression at the G2 phase in both G2-synchronized and nonsynchronized cultures of tsFT210 cells. Another kinase inhibitor, sangivamycin, inhibited cell cycle progression at the G2 phase of cells released from temperature arrest but did not inhibit that of the exponentially growing cells. Using the bioassay system, we carried out screening of the cell cycle inhibitors from the microbial metabolites and have discovered several new inhibitors, including novel compounds such as tryprostatins A, B and acetophthalidin. Thus, this bioassay allowed for the detection of cell cycle inhibitors and provided a convenient and useful method for the screening of new inhibitors from the microbial metabolites.

Novel mammalian cell cycle inhibitors, tryprostatins A, B and other diketopiperazines produced by Aspergillus fumigatus. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and biological properties.

Two novel diketopiperazines named tryprostatins A (1) and B (2) and a new natural product belonging to the diketopiperazine series, designated as demethoxyfumitremorgin C (3), together with four known diketopiperazines, fumitremorgin C (4), 12,13-dihydroxyfumitremorgin C (5), fumitremorgin B (6) and verruculogen (7), were isolated from the fermentation broth of Aspergillus fumigatus BM939 by the combined use of solvent extraction, silica gel column chromatography, preparative TLC and repeated-preparative HPLC. The diketopiperazines showed an inhibitory activity on the cell cycle progression of mouse tsFT210 cells in the M phase with the MIC values of 16.4 microM (1), 4.4 microM (2), 0.45 microM (3), 4.1 microM (4), 60.8 microM (5), 26.1 microM (6) and 12.2 microM (7), respectively.

Morphology reversion activity of phosmidosine and phosmidosine B, a newly isolated derivative, on src transformed NRK cells.

An antifungal antibiotic, phosmidosine (1) was previously isolated (J. Antibiotics 44: 375 approximately 381, 1991). Phosmidosine derivatives, phosmidosines B (2) and C (3) were newly isolated as detransforming compounds from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces sp. strain RK-16 which is a producer strain of phosmidosine (1). The structures of 2 and 3 were established by spectroscopic methods, including UV, HRFAB-MS, and NMR. 1 and 2 showed the inhibitory activity of the cell cycle progression and the morphological reversion activity on srcts-NRK cells. On the other hand, 3 had no activity. These results indicate that the prolyl group in phosmidosine derivatives plays an important role in the inhibitory activity against the cell cycle progression and the morphological reversion activity on srcts-NRK cells.

Antiendometrial autoantibodies are generated in patients with endometriosis.

PROBLEM: Our aim was to investigate endometrial antigens involved in the autoimmunity of endometriosis. METHOD: We detected endometrial antigens against which autoantibodies directed with Western blotting. RESULTS: Thirteen (72.2%), 14 (77.8%), and 15 (83.3%) of 18 serum samples from endometriosis patients had antibodies reactive against endometrial antigen wtih MW of 26 kd, 34 kd, and 42 kd, respectively, while 6 (33.3%), 8 (44.4%), and 8 (44.4%) of 18 samples from normal control women reacted against these antigens, respectively. The frequencies of antibodies to the endometrial antigens were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the endometriosis patients than in the normal control women. Antibodies in peritoneal fluid (PF) reacted against antigens with MW of 26, 34, 38, 42, and 64 kd, while those from the normal control reacted against antigens with MW of 38, 42, and 64 kd. Serum samples from normal fertile males did not show any reactivity against these endometrial antigens. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that autoantibodies reactive against endometrial antigens are present in patients with endometriosis.

Reveromycins, new inhibitors of eukaryotic cell growth. II. Biological activities.

Reveromycins A, B, C and D showed inhibitory activity against EGF-stimulated mitogen response in Balb/MK cells. Furthermore reveromycins A, C and D exhibited morphological reversion of srcts-NRK cells, antiproliferative activity against human tumor cell lines and antifungal activity. The effects of reveromycins A, C and D on eukaryotic cells were closely similar to each other, but those of reveromycin B were very weak. In vitro studies revealed that reveromycin A is a selective inhibitor of protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells.

A new inhibitor of protein kinase C, RK-1409B (4'-demethylamino-4'-hydroxy-3'-epistaurosporine).

RK-1409B, a new inhibitor of protein kinase C, was isolated from the culture broth of Streptomyces platensis subsp. malvinus RK-1409. The structure was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. RK-1409B inhibited protein kinase C in vitro and the morphological change of a human chronic leukemia cell line, K-562, induced by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate with IC50 value of 0.4 microM.

[Prolactin disorders in patients with habitual abortion].

To evaluate the significance of prolactin (PRL) disorders as one of the etiologic factors in habitual abortion, one hundred and six couples with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortion were assessed clinically and endocrinologically. A high rate of PRL disorders (eight patients with hyperprolactinemia and 31 patients with occulted hyperprolactinemia) was observed (36.8%) in habitual aborters, and only nine of these patients showed clinically detectable luteal insufficiency. These patients who had PRL disorders without luteal insufficiency were further analyzed with immunological examinations. Immunological evaluations revealed that there was no significant difference between the subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in patients with PRL disorders and normal controls while the PHA-stimulated blastogenic activity of PBL and ConA-induced IL-2 synthesis by PBL was slightly suppressed as compared with that of normal controls. And the incidence of HLA sharing in couples with PRL disorders was demonstrated to be higher than that of the normal control couples without abortion. Patients with PRL disorders without impaired corpus luteum function were treated with bromocriptine only, and this therapy was very effective in maintaining pregnancy. The results of this study have allowed us to suggest that PRL disorders might be some of the etiologies in the so called "unexplained" habitual abortion.

A new inhibitor of protein kinase C, RK-1409 (7-oxostaurosporine). I. Taxonomy and biological activity.

A novel inhibitor of protein kinase C was found in the fermentation of a soil actinomycete, strain RK-1409. According to the taxonomic studies, the producing strain was designated as Streptomyces platensis subsp. malvinus RK-1409. The protein kinase C inhibitor, RK-1409 (7-oxostaurosporine) inhibited the morphological change of a human chronic erythroleukemia cell, K-562, induced by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) at the concentration of 10 ng/ml. The concentration of 3 ng/ml inhibited the activity of protein kinase C in vitro. RK-1409 inhibited the cell cycle progression at G2 phase of K-562 cells.