Glochidiol, a natural triterpenoid, exerts its anti-cancer effects by targeting the colchicine binding site of tubulin
INVESTIGATIONAL NEW DRUGS
Authors: Chen, Hongjie; Miao, Lijun; Huang, Fengxiang; Yu, Yali; Peng, Qiang; Liu, Ying; Li, Xixi; Liu, Hong
Abstract
Glochidiol has been shown to have potentially antiproliferative activityin vitro, however its anticancer mechanisms specifically against lung cancer remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the anti-lung cancer effects of glochidiol in HCC-44 cellsin vitroandin vivo. In the present study, glochidiol was found to have potent antiproliferative activity against lung cancer cell lines NCI-H2087, HOP-62, NCI-H520, HCC-44, HARA, EPLC-272H, NCI-H3122, COR-L105 and Calu-6 with IC(50)values of 4.12 mu M, 2.01 mu M, 7.53 mu M, 1.62 mu M, 4.79 mu M, 7.69 mu M, 2.36 mu M, 6.07 mu M and 2.10 mu M, respectively.In vivo, glochidiol was found to effectively inhibit lung cancer HCC-44 xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. Docking analysis found that glochidiol forms hydrogen bonds with residues of tubulin. Glochidiol was also found to inhibit tubulin polymerizationin vitrowith an IC(50)value of 2.76 mu M. Immunofluorescence staining and EBI competition assay suggest that glochidiol may interact with tubulin by targeting the colchicine binding site. Thus, glochidiol might be a novel colchicine binding site inhibitor with the potential to treat lung cancer.
Structural Basis of Noscapine Activation for Tubulin Binding
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
Authors: Oliva, Maria A.; Prota, Andrea E.; Rodriguez-Salarichs, Javier; Bennani, Youssef L.; Jimenez-Barbero, Jesus; Bargsten, Katja; Canales, Angeles; Steinmetz, Michel O.; Fernando Diaz, J.
Abstract
Noscapine is a natural alkaloid that is used as an antitussive medicine. However, it also acts as a weak anticancer agent in certain in vivo models through a mechanism that is largely unknown. Here, we performed structural studies and show that the cytotoxic agent 7A-O-demethoxy-amino-noscapine (7A-aminonoscapine) binds to the colchicine site of tubulin. We suggest that the 7A-methoxy group of noscapine prevents binding to tubulin due to a steric clash of the compound with the T5-loop of alpha-tubulin. We further propose that the anticancer activity of noscapine arises from a bioactive metabolite that binds to the colchicine site of tubulin to induce mitotic arrest through a microtubule cytoskeleton-based mechanism.