title: Temozolomide and carmustine cause large-scale heterochromatin reorganization in glioma cells.
abstract: Temozolomide (TMZ) and carmustine (BCNU), cancer-drugs usually used in the treatment of gliomas, are DNA-methylating agents producing O6-methylguanine. It has been shown that 06-methylguanine triggers DNA mismatch repair and in turn induce apoptosis and senescence, respectively, over a 4 and 6 days period [Y. Hirose, M.S. Berger, R.O. Pieper, p53 effects both the duration of G2/M arrest and the fate of temozolomide-treated human glioblastoma cells, Cancer Res. 61 (2001) 1957-1963; W. Roos, M. Baumgartner, B. Kaina, Apoptosis triggered by DNA damage O6-methylguanine in human lymphocytes requires DNA replication and is mediated by p53 and Fas/CD95/Apo-1, Oncogene 23 (2004) 359-367]. Here we show that TMZ and BCNU have an earlier effect on nuclear organization and chromatin structure. In particular, we report that TMZ and BCNU induce clustering of pericentromeric heterochromatin regions and increase the amount of heterochromatic proteins MeCP2 and HP1alpha bound to chromatin. These drugs also decrease global levels of histone H3 acetylation and increase levels of histone H3 trimethylated on lysine 9 (H3-triMeK9). These events precede the senescence status. We conclude that TMZ and BCNU efficacy in glioma treatment may implicate a first event characterized by changes in heterochromatin organization and its silencing which is then followed by apoptosis and senescence.
authors.affiliation: Dialectica s.r.l V.le Pasteur 10, 20014 Nerviano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Papait
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magrassi
authors.forename: Dorotea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rigamonti
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation / Q000187:drug effects; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002330:Carmustine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005910:Glioma / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D000077204:Temozolomide
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; C000715594:CBX5 protein, human; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D006570:Heterochromatin; D006657:Histones; C497392:MECP2 protein, human; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D003606:Dacarbazine; D002330:Carmustine; D000077204:Temozolomide