title: WMC-79, a potent agent against colon cancers, induces apoptosis through a p53-dependent pathway.
abstract: WMC-79 is a synthetic agent with potent activity against colon and hematopoietic tumors. In vitro, the agent is most potent against colon cancer cells that carry the wild-type p53 tumor suppressor gene (HCT-116 and RKO cells: GI50<1 nmol/L, LC50 approximately 40 nmol/L). Growth arrest of HCT-116 and RKO cells occurs at the G1 and G2-M check points at sublethal concentrations (10 nmol/L) but the entire cell population was killed at 100 nmol/L. WMC-79 is localized to the nucleus where it binds to DNA. We hypothesized that WMC-79 binding to DNA is recognized as an unrepairable damage in the tumor cells, which results in p53 activation. This triggers transcriptional up-regulation of p53-dependent genes involved in replication, cell cycle progression, growth arrest, and apoptosis as evidenced by DNA microarrays. The change in the transcriptional profile of HCT-116 cells is followed by a change in the levels of cell cycle regulatory proteins and apoptosis. The recruitment of the p53-dependent apoptosis pathway was suggested by the up-regulation of p53, p21, Bax, DR-4, DR-5, and p53 phosphorylated on Ser15; down-regulation of Bcl-2; and activation of caspase-8, -9, -7, and -3 in cells treated with 100 nmol/L WMC-79. Apoptosis was also evident from the flow cytometric studies of drug-treated HCT-116 cells as well as from the appearance of nuclear fragmentation. However, whereas this pathway is important in wild-type p53 colon tumors, other pathways are also in operation because colon cancer cell lines in which the p53 gene is mutated are also affected by higher concentrations of WMC-79.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Aspects of Drug Design, Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosakowska-Cholody
authors.forename: W Marek
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Cholody
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monks
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Woynarowska
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Michejda
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C506941:WMC-79