S23906-1 is a diester derivative of 1,2-dihydrobenzo[b]
acronycine with an unknown mechanism of action. This cytotoxic compound was 20-fold more potent than
acronycine in inhibiting the proliferation of six tumor cell lines. Using a clonogenic assay of cell survival, the HT29 human colon
carcinoma cell line was 100-fold more sensitive to
S23906-1 than
acronycine. Cell cycle analysis, by flow cytometry, showed that
S23906-1 induced a partially reversible arrest of HT29 cells in G2+M at 1 microM and below and an irreversible arrest in S phase at 2.5 microM and above. These cell cycle effects were followed by cell death through apoptosis, quantified by
annexin-V labeling. Inhibition of
DNA synthesis was observed by complete prevention of
bromodeoxyuridine (
BrdU) incorporation after only 4 h of incubation with 5 microM
S23906-1. Interestingly, under the same experimental conditions, a significant increase of
cyclin E protein level was observed without any modification of
cyclins D1, D2, D3, or A. This overexpressed
cyclin E protein was not complexed with Cdk2, as shown by western blotting for Cdk2 in immunoprecipitates of
cyclin E. Similar inhibition of
BrdU incorporation and elevation of
cyclin E protein were observed
after treatment with
cytosine arabinoside, which reversibly inhibited progression into S phase, but not after DNA damage induced by
cisplatin.
S23906-1 thus has a novel mechanism of action. A cell line resistant to
S23906-1 showed that overexpression of
cyclin E was implicated in the novel cytotoxic activity of this compound.