title: Depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, phosphorylation of eIF2alpha, and sustained inhibition of translation initiation mediate the anticancer effects of clotrimazole.
abstract: Regulation of translation initiation plays a critical role in the control of cell growth and division in eukaryotic cells. Translation of many growth regulatory proteins including cyclins depends critically on translation initiation factors because their mRNAs are translated inefficiently. We report that clotrimazole, a potent antiproliferative agent both in vitro and in vivo, inhibits cell growth by interfering with translation initiation. In particular, clotrimazole causes a sustained depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, which results in activation of PKR, phosphorylation of eIF2alpha, and thereby in inhibition of protein synthesis at the level of translation initiation. Consequently, clotrimazole preferentially decreases the expression of the growth promoting proteins cyclin A, E and D1, resulting in inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase activity and blockage of cell cycle in G1.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aktas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flückiger
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Palakurthi
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Halperin
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003022:Clotrimazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D010766:Phosphorylation; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2; D003022:Clotrimazole; D002118:Calcium