title: Leishmania donovani polyamine biosynthetic enzyme overproducers as tools to investigate the mode of action of cytotoxic polyamine analogs.
abstract: A number of anticancer and antiparasitic drugs are postulated to target the polyamine biosynthetic pathway and polyamine function, but the exact mode of action of these compounds is still being elucidated. To establish whether polyamine analogs specifically target enzymes of the polyamine pathway, a model was developed using strains of the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani that overproduce each of the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes. Promastigotes overexpressing episomal constructs encoding ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (ADOMETDC), or spermidine synthase (SPDSYN) revealed robust overproduction of the corresponding polyamine biosynthetic enzyme. Polyamine pools, however, were either unchanged or only marginally affected, implying that regulatory mechanisms must exist. The ODC, ADOMETDC, and SPDSYN overproducer strains exhibited a high level of resistance to difluoromethylornithine, 5'-{[(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino}-5'-deoxyadenosine, and n-butylamine, respectively, confirming previous observations that these agents specifically target polyamine enzymes. Conversely, augmented levels of polyamine biosynthetic enzymes did not affect the sensitivity of L. donovani promastigotes to pentamidine, berenil, and mitoguazone, drugs that were postulated to target the polyamine pathway, implying alternative and/or additional targets for these agents. The sensitivities of wild-type and overproducing parasites to a variety of polyamine analogs were also tested. The polyamine enzyme-overproducing lines offer a rapid cell-based screen for assessing whether synthetic polyamine analogs exert their mechanism of action predominantly on the polyamine biosynthetic pathway in L. donovani. Furthermore, the drug resistance engendered by the amplification of target genes and the overproduction of the encoded protein offers a general strategy for evaluating and developing therapeutic agents that target specific proteins in Leishmania.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA.
authors.forename: Sigrid C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Yuqui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gasteier
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frydman
authors.forename: Laurence J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Marton
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Heby
authors.forename: Buddy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ullman
mesh_terms: D012437:Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002082:Butylamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003839:Deoxyadenosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D000518:Eflornithine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D011436:Spermidine Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D002082:Butylamines; D003839:Deoxyadenosines; C065859:MDL 73811; D011436:Spermidine Synthase; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase; D012437:Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase; C032462:n-butylamine; D000518:Eflornithine