title: Extraneuronal monoamine transporter expression and DNA repair vis-à-vis 2-chloroethyl-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea cytotoxicity in human tumor cell lines.
abstract: We previously found that 2-chloroethyl-3-sarcosin-amide-1-nitrosourea (SarCNU), a new chloroethylnitrosourea analogue presently in phase I clinical trials, is a selective cytotoxin that enters cells via the extraneuronal transporter for monoamine transmitters (EMT). In this study, we assessed whether EMT expression correlates with SarCNU cytotoxicity by determining EMT expression in 23 human tumor cell lines with reverse-transcription PCR. Western blot analysis was used to measure protein levels of the DNA repair genes, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), and excision repair cross-complementing rodent repair deficiency gene 2 (ERCC2). SarCNU cytotoxicity was determined by the sulforhodamine B colorimetric anti-cancer-drug screening assay and correlated with gene expression. Almost all of the cell lines screened were positive for EMT expression. However, seven cell lines (MGR-1, MGR-2, T98-G, SKI-1, SKNSH, 297, and GBM) expressed low levels of EMT. Although there was no linear correlation between SarCNU cytotoxicity and EMT expression, SarCNU cytotoxicity significantly correlated with ERCC2 protein levels, and MGMT-rich (Mer+) cell lines (MGMT protein level >0.1) were more resistant to SarCNU than MGMT-poor (Mer-) cell lines (MGMT protein level <0.1). Moreover, multiple regression analysis indicated that the best correlation with SarCNU cytotoxicity was attainable with EMT plus MGMT and ERCC2 expression. This study suggests that in human tumor cell lines both EMT and DNA repair factors, specifically, MGMT and ERCC2, are important determinants of SarCNU activity. Because EMT is expressed in a wide variety of human tumors, SarCNU should be a more widely effective alternative chemotherapeutic agent.
authors.affiliation: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Z P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Remack
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Brent
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Panasci
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002330:Carmustine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004265:DNA Helicases; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D027701:Organic Cation Transport Proteins; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects*; D051759:Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group D Protein; D000099254:Organic Cation Transporter 3
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002330:Carmustine; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004265:DNA Helicases; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase; D027701:Organic Cation Transport Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051759:Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group D Protein; D000099254:Organic Cation Transporter 3; C044565:2-((((2-chloroethyl)nitrosoamino)carbonyl)amino)propanamide; C497292:ERCC2 protein, human