title: Dependence of paclitaxel sensitivity on a functional spindle assembly checkpoint.
abstract: Paclitaxel stabilizes microtubules, causing mitotic arrest and activating the spindle assembly checkpoint. We determined whether suppression of the checkpoint genes Mad2 and BubR1 affects paclitaxel resistance and whether overexpression of Mad2 protein in checkpoint-defective cells enhances paclitaxel sensitivity. Suppression of Mad2 and BubR1 in paclitaxel-treated cancer cells abolished checkpoint function, resulting in paclitaxel resistance that correlated with suppression of cyclin-dependent kinase-1 activity. In contrast, overexpression of Mad2 in cells with a checkpoint defect attributable to low Mad2 expression restored checkpoint function, resulting in enhanced paclitaxel sensitivity that correlated with enhanced cyclin-dependent kinase-1 activity. However, overexpression of Mad2 failed to enhance paclitaxel sensitivity via checkpoint activation in Mad2-independent checkpoint-defective and -intact cells. Thus, checkpoint function is required for paclitaxel sensitivity. These findings show that any molecules that could interfere with the spindle assembly checkpoint could generate paclitaxel resistance in any patient.
authors.affiliation: Breast Cancer Research Program Core Laboratory, Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sudo
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nitta
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saya
authors.forename: Naoto T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Ueno
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D064246:Mad2 Proteins; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C577697:MAD2L1 protein, human; D064246:Mad2 Proteins; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; C584277:BUB1 protein, human; C090464:Bub1 spindle checkpoint protein; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase; D017239:Paclitaxel