Antiproliferative activity of ecteinascidin 743 is dependent upon transcription-coupled nucleotide-excision repair.
While investigating the novel anticancer drug ecteinascidin 743 (Et743), a natural marine product isolated from the Caribbean sea squirt, we discovered a new cell-killing mechanism mediated by DNA nucleotide excision repair (NER). A cancer cell line selected for resistance to Et743 had chromosome alterations in a region that included the gene implicated in the hereditary disease xeroderma pigmentosum (XPG, also known as Ercc5). Complementation with wild-type XPG restored the drug sensitivity. Xeroderma pigmentosum cells deficient in the NER genes XPG, XPA, XPD or XPF were resistant to Et743, and sensitivity was restored by complementation with wild-type genes. Moreover, studies of cells deficient in XPC or in the genes implicated in Cockayne syndrome (CSA and CSB) indicated that the drug sensitivity is specifically dependent on the transcription-coupled pathway of NER. We found that Et743 interacts with the transcription-coupled NER machinery to induce lethal DNA strand breaks.
Takebayashi
Y
Y
Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, National Cancer Institute/NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Pourquier
P
P
Zimonjic
D B
DB
Nakayama
K
K
Emmert
S
S
Ueda
T
T
Urasaki
Y
Y
Kanzaki
A
A
Akiyama
S I
SI
Popescu
N
N
Kraemer
K H
KH
Pommier
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000187:drug effects*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004720:Endonucleases; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D000077606:Trabectedin; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D014561:Urochordata; D000099250:DNA Excision Repair Protein ERCC-5
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004149:Dioxoles; D004720:Endonucleases; D007546:Isoquinolines; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D000077606:Trabectedin; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099250:DNA Excision Repair Protein ERCC-5