Tubulin polymerization

Chemistry, biology, and medicine of tubulin polymerizing macrocyclic lactones 99PAC989. 

In addition, the alkaloid colchicine (from Colchicum autumnale) blocks tubulin polymerization by binding to heterodimeric (3-tubulin between amino acids 239 and 254. Since it inhibits the MT-dependent migration of granulocytes into areas of inflammation and their MT-dependent release of proinflammatory agents, it is used to treat attacks of gout. Its antimitotic effect in the gastrointestinal system induces diarrhoea. Nocodazole competes for the binding site of colchicine and has similar effects on heterodimeric (3-tubulin. 

Vinblastine -vinca alkaloid inhibits tubulin polymerization G2 phase specific -bone marrow suppression -vesicant if extravasated -nausea and vomiting -constipation (often secondary to neuropathy induced ileus) -neuropathy (jaw pain, peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy) -SIADH -tumor pain... 

Combretastatins are a class of compounds originally derived from the African Willow tree (Combretum caffrum) and are powerful reversible inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. This class of molecules has been shown to bind to the colchicine binding site of tubulin, by the same mode of action as mentioned above (Sect. 1.2). Combretastatins consist of a ris-slilbcnc core structure. To date, there have been several compounds that have shown promise as potential anticancer drugs. However, development of these compounds as anticancer agents is limited by issues of chemical stability, bioavailibilty, toxicity, and solubility. 

The most famous of these compounds is combretastatin A-4 (CA-4,7), isolated by Pettit et al. in 1989 [30]. Pettit s research led to the isolation and structural determination of a series of phenanthrenes, dihydrophenanthrene, stilbene, and bibenzyl compounds [31]. CA-4 (7), alongside CA-1 (8), was found to be an extremely active inhibitor of tubulin polymerization [30,32]. The major problems associated with these compounds were poor bioavailability and low aqueous solubility [33,34], and hence, research in the field was turned to designing better alternatives with the hope of eradicating the negative properties of these potent compounds. 

Chalcones (including 11) contain a l,3-diaryl-a,/)-unsaturated ketone moiety and have anti-cancer properties [38]. As analogs of CA-4, 7, the mode of cytotoxic action of chalcones has been shown to be similar to the com-bretastatins. They bind to the colchicine site of tubulin and inhibit tubulin polymerization [39]. 

The synthesis of biologically important heterocyclic stilbene and chalcone derivatives of combretastatins has been discussed. Combretastatins have been shown to be inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. In many cases the compounds described in this chapter were included because of an interesting synthesis or structure, although limited biological data were found. It is the author s opinion that a great number of the compounds contained within this review are worthy of further investigation as potential tubulin binders. 

Microtubules have a key role in mitosis and cell-proliferation. They are dynamic assemblies of heterodimers of a and f3 tubullin. In the cell-reproduction cascade tubulin polymerizes fast and subsequently depolymerizes. Tubulin dimers are unusual guanyl nucleotide binding (G) proteins, which bind GTP reversibly at a site in the (3-tubulin. GTP irreversibly hydrolyzes to GDP during polymerization. 

First we consider the acyl sector of the epothilones, which proved to be intolerant of modification. For example, inversion of stereochemistry at C3 (S toR), or reduction at C5 results in serious arrest of activity. Analogs with functionality at C3, C5, C6, C7 and C8 removed demonstrate both diminished tubulin-binding activity and cytotoxidty (structures not shown). Ddetion of the single methyl group at C8 has a highly pronounced deleterious effect on activity. Removal of the C9 methylene group resulting in a 15-membered macrolide, 87, results in a major loss of activity in tubulin polymerization/depolymerization assays. 

S. W. Mamber, A. B. Mikkilineni, E. J. Pack, M. P. Rosser, H. Wong, Y. Ueda, S. Fo-renza, Tubulin Polymerization by Paclitaxel (Taxol) Phosphate Prodrugs after Metabolic Activation by Alkaline Phosphatase , J. Pharmacol. Exp. Then 1995, 274, 877-883. 

From this type of analysis, one would conclude that t must be approximately 28 for a 10% reduction in protomer to cause a 95% reduction in the nucleus concentration. This is a rather startling apparent reaction order even assuming infinite cooperativity between protomers. It is recalled that Hofrichter et al. (1974) found from a similar analysis of the rate of nucleation of human hemoglobin S (HbS) at 30 C that the apparent reaction order for the nucleation of HbS aggregation was about 32. Of course, such analyses are not fully justifiable because one may not assume ideality in the solution properties of biopolymers at high concentrations, particularly at 200 mg/ml in the case of hemoglobin. The computation for the case of tubulin polymerization does, nonetheless, emphasize that nucleation would be an especially cooperative event if only tubulin, and not ring structures, played the active role in nuclei formation. 

In Scheme I, we present a kinetic scheme for tubulin polymerization in the absence of hydrolysis. The rate constants are written such that the (+) signs refer to the association steps and the (-) signs refer to the dissociation steps. The rates of growth at each end may be written as follows ... 

Colchicine inhibits tubulin polymerization when applied under the following conditions 30 pM for five minutes (0.1 mM, 30 minutes) (93). Colchicine concentration should be maintained throughout the experiment. 

A wide variety of other biochemical effects has been reported to be associated with treatment of cells with vinblastine, vincristine, and related compounds (S). These effects include inhibition of the biosynthesis of proteins and nucleic acids and of aspects of lipid metabolism it is not clear whether such effects contribute to the therapeutic or toxic actions of vincristine and vinblastine. Vinblastine and vincristine inhibit protein kinase C, an enzyme system that modulates cell growth and differentiation (9). The pharmacological significance of such inhibition has not been established, however, and it must be emphasized that the concentrations of the drugs required to inhibit protein kinase C are several orders of magnitude higher than those required to alter tubulin polymerization phenomena (10). 

Figure 1. Top Turbidity, measured at 350 nm, as a function of microtubule polymer mass concentration (expressed as mg/mL polymerized tubulin). Tubulin solutions of varying concentrations were polymerized until they reached stable plateau values in a Cary 118C spectrophotometer. Each sample was then transferred to an ultracentrifuge tube, and microtubules were pelleted, separated from the unpolymerized tubulin in the supernatant fraction, and then resuspended for protein concentration determination. The corresponding turbidity and polymer mass concentrations are plotted here. Bottom Time-course of tubulin polymerization assayed by turbidity.Repro-duced from MacNeal and Purich with permission from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Low-/c t GTPase in tubulin polymerization, MICROTUBULE ASSEMBLY KINETICS LUCIFERASE D(-)-Luciferin,... 

TUBULIN POLYMERIZATION ASSAYS MICROTUBULE ASSEMBLY KINETICS... 

Boekelheide K. 1987. 2,5-Hexanedione alters microtubule assembly. I. Testicular atrophy, not nervous system toxicity, correlates with enhanced tubulin polymerization. Toxicol AppI Pharmacol 88 370-382. 

Pyranopyridines 179 and pyranoquinolines 185 are close to chromenes 281 in their mechanism of biological action. Compounds 179 and 185 at micro- and nanomolar concentrations (for the most studied compounds GI50 was about 3-3000 nM) cause arrest of cells in the G2/M phase and inhibit tubuline polymerization (07BML3872, 08JME2561). 

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