Triazoloacridone C-1305 abrogates the restriction checkpoint in cells lacking functional p53 and promotes their accumulation in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle.

ABSTRACT

Triazoloacridone C-1305, a new topoisomerase II inhibitor, exhibits potent cytostatic activity toward various tumours under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Interestingly, mouse cells lacking poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 are much more sensitive to C-1305 than their normal counterparts. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that the functional status of p53 in tumour cells might have an impact on the efficiency of C-1305 in experiments with both p53-deficient human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells and human MCF-7 breast cancer cells harboring a functional p53 pathway. Exposure of both cancer cell lines to C-1305 reduced the number of viable cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Remarkably, however, HL-60 cells were much more strongly affected than MCF-7 cells. Measurements of DNA concentrations in single cells revealed that C-1305 arrested the tested cancer cells at the G/M transition. Analysis of the cell cycle and apoptosis regulators revealed that C-1305 strongly elevated phosphorylation of CDK1 at the inhibitory sites (Thr14/Tyr15) in HL-60 cells. Furthermore, C-1305 increased phosphorylation of pRb protein and CDK2 at Thr160 in HL60 cells, but not in MCF-7 cells. These observations suggest that C-1305 abrogates the restriction checkpoint and promotes G1/S transition in cells lacking functional p53.