title: Human cancer cell lines growth inhibition by GTn oligodeoxyribonucleotides recognizing single-stranded DNA-binding proteins.
abstract: Oligonucleotides can specifically target not only nucleic acids but also proteins. Some proteins recognizing oligonucleotides in a sequence-specific manner have been related to cancer transformation and progression. We have found that oligonucleotides composed by repeated and/or variable intervals of GTn with 1 < or = n < or = 7, are able to exert a specific and dose-dependent growth inhibition on human CCRF-CEM, CEM-VLB300, U937, Jurkat, H9 and HeLa tumor cell lines. In contrast, G-->C, G-->A, T-->C and T-->A base substituted control oligonucleotides do not significantly alter cellular growth. In all cell lines, a nuclear protein (molecular mass = 45+/-7 kDa), which specifically recognizes GTn, was identified. Our hypothesis is that the formation of the GTn-protein complex in human cancer cell lines may be involved in the growth inhibition effect. In fact, we found that the reduction or lack of cytotoxic effects by GTn in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-treated CCRF-CEM cells and in normal human lymphocytes is paralleled by the simultaneous reduction or lack of GTn-protein complex. Oligonucleotides specifically 'quenching' intracellular protein activities by forming oligonucleotide-protein complexes may be of potential interest in the treatment of human tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scaggiante
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morassutti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dapas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tolazzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ustulin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quadrifoglio
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate