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DNA topoisomerase II is essential for preimplantation mouse development.

Topoisomerase II (topo II) is an essential enzyme that alters DNA topology. This activity is important for a variety of chromosome functions including DNA replication, transcription, recombination, and chromosome condensation and segregation. Previously we localized topo II in mouse gametes and preimplantation embryos using isoform-specific antibodies demonstrating the presence of the enzyme in oocytes and embryos, but not sperm. To probe functions of topo II during preimplantation development, we treated mouse zygotes with 100 nM teniposide, and assessed embryo morphology and DNA replication. Teniposide blocked cleavage in 69% embryos; the remainder cleaved once but had abnormal nuclei. Teniposide-treated embryos were devoid of topo II immunofluorescence. Teniposide also prevented DNA replication, implicating topo II in this process. Embryos treated with a 2 hr pulse of teniposide recovered and developed to the blastocyst stage, indicating 100 nM teniposide did not induce apoptosis. To more specifically analyze topo IIalpha function, we treated zygotes with topo IIalpha-targeted antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Most zygotes arrested at the 2-cell stage while controls developed into blastocysts indicating topo IIalpha is essential for preimplantation development. The absence of topo IIalpha, but not beta immunofluorescence in antisense-treated embryos confirms the specificity and impact of the treatment. In addition, topo IIalpha is newly synthesized at the 2-cell stage. These results establish an essential function for topo II in mouse preimplantation embryonic development.

Animals↗

The role of epipodophyllotoxin derivatives in bladder cancer.

Past and present experiences with podophyllin derivatives in bladder cancer are described. A preliminary study of teniposide was conducted in 1975 at the Institute of Urology, University of Palermo, in patients with advanced or superficial bladder cancer. In 18 patients with advanced bladder cancer, teniposide was administered intravenously (IV), followed in seven patients by peptichemio or doxorubicin. One complete response (CR) and four partial responses (PRs) were achieved. In 24 patients with superficial tumors, teniposide at a dose of 50 mg dissolved in 30 mL normal saline was administered intravesically as ablative therapy or as prophylaxis following transurethral resection (TUR). Of 12 patients in the ablative therapy group, two CRs and two PRs were achieved. Only 2 patients of 12 in the prophylaxis group relapsed within 6 months. In five cases, teniposide was administered in combination with peptichemio. In recent years, the Urological Group of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) has performed a phase II study in which teniposide was used in combination with cisplatin given IV in the treatment of advanced bladder cancer. The EORTC group has also performed a randomized study to compare intravesical teniposide versus thiotepa versus no treatment other than initial resection. A brief report on both studies is given. In December 1987, a study was initiated to evaluate intravesical etoposide use in the prophylaxis of recurrences of superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Intravesical etoposide (200 mg dissolved in 50 mL saline solution) was administered at weekly intervals for the first month after TUR and then monthly for 11 months. Of 38 evaluable patients, 20 had recurrences at a mean follow-up of 14 months. No systemic toxicity was noted.

Combined Modality Therapy↗

O-demethylation of epipodophyllotoxins is catalyzed by human cytochrome P450 3A4.

We previously demonstrated that O-demethylation of the pendant dimethoxyphenol ring of epipodophyllotoxins to produce their respective catechol metabolites is catalyzed by cytochrome(s) P450 in human liver microsomes. Our objective was to identify the specific human cytochrome(s) P450 responsible for catechol formation. Using a panel of prototypical substrates and inhibitors for specific cytochromes P450, we identified substrates for CYP3A4 (midazolam, erythromycin, cyclosporin, and dexamethasone) as inhibitors of catechol formation from both etoposide and teniposide. Dexamethasone inhibition was competitive, with Ki values of 60 and 45 microM for etoposide and teniposide, respectively. In 58 human livers, the correlation coefficients for teniposide catechol formation versus 1'- and 4-hydroxymidazolam formation were 80% and 85%, respectively; for etoposide catechol formation versus 1'- and 4-hydroxymidazolam formation r2 was 83% and 79%, respectively. Teniposide and etoposide catechol formation rates were also significantly correlated with immunodetectable CYP3A (r2 = 49% and 51%, respectively) and not with immunodetectable CYP1A2, 2E1, or 2C8. Finally, cDNAs for human CYP3A4, 3A5, 2A6, 2B6, 2C8, and 2C9 were functionally expressed in HepG2 cells, using a vaccinia viral vector. Teniposide and etoposide catechol formation was catalyzed primarily by 3A4 (15.4 and 40.9 pmol/pmol/hr, respectively) and to a lesser degree by 3A5 (1.94 and 11.3 pmol/pmol/hr, respectively), whereas there was no detectable O-demethylation of epipodophyllotoxins by 2A6, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, or the control virus alone. Moreover, the relative activities of midazolam hydroxylation, compared with O-demethylation of epipodophyllotoxins, were similar for heterologously expressed 3A4 and for human liver microsomes. We conclude that catechol formation from teniposide and etoposide is primarily mediated by human CYP3A4, making these reactions susceptible to inhibition by prototypical 3A substrates and inhibitors.

Biotransformation↗

NK-cell activity affected by some cytostatic drugs and their additives.

The direct effect of selected cytostatic drugs on natural killer (NK) cell activity was evaluated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors were tested for their cytolytic activity in vitro in the presence of adriamycin, methotrexate, leucovorin, vincristin, cytosine arabinoside and teniposide. Most of the tested cytostatic drugs did not show to be active at concentrations comparable to their plasma level. However, diluents of some preparations (cytosine arabinoside, teniposide) containing organic solutions and stabilizing additives (e.g. benzyl alcohol) suppressed the NK activity more than chemotherapeutic agents alone. Thus teniposide, containing such additives, inhibited NK activity already at 5 mg/ml, while its peak plasma concentration was 23.8 mg/ml. The inhibitory concentrations of teniposide did not affect the target binding of effector cells and the expression of 14 tested leukocyte differentiation markers. This implies that a postbinding step of the lytic process was altered by the preparation. Likewise, no inhibition of lectin dependent cellular cytotoxicity by teniposide and its diluent was observed, suggesting that the lectin may substitute the missing lytic signal.

Antigens, Differentiation↗

Newly replicated DNA is associated with DNA topoisomerase II in cultured rat prostatic adenocarcinoma cells.

DNA topoisomerases have been proposed to function in a variety of genetic processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Here, we have assessed the role of DNA topoisomerase II in mammalian DNA replication by determining the proximity of newly synthesized DNA to covalent enzyme-DNA complexes generated by treating cultured rat prostatic adenocarcinoma cells with teniposide. Teniposide (VM-26), an epipodophyllotoxin, is known to interact with mammalian DNA topoisomerase II so as to trap the enzyme in a covalent complex with DNA. We have found that the teniposide-induced trapping of such complexes requires MgCl2, is stimulated by ATP and is inhibited by novobiocin. The formation of covalent complexes seems to be reversible on removal of teniposide. Furthermore, analysis of the covalent complexes formed between 3H-thymidine pulse-labelled DNA and topoisomerase II following teniposide treatment reveals a direct association of the enzyme with nascent DNA fragments. Our results suggest that DNA topoisomerase II may interact with newly replicated daughter DNA molecules near DNA replication forks in mammalian cells.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Chemosensitivity test for human small cell lung cancer cell lines in vitro.

The in vitro response to seven chemotherapeutic drugs of three established human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines (NCI H69, H128, N231) was tested by a double soft agar clonogenic assay. Colony formation by the three cell lines was universally reduced more than 50% by continuous exposure to peak plasma concentrations of all the drugs. However by exposure to one-tenth of the peak plasma concentrations, the colony growth of H69 was reduced to 25.6% and 37.7% by etoposide and teniposide, respectively, and that of N231 was reduced to 46.7%, 39.0%, 27.5% by carboplatin, etoposide and teniposide, respectively. On the other hand colony formation by the three cell lines was not suppressed more than 50% by one-hour exposure to any of the drugs tested at one-tenth of the peak plasma concentrations. By one-hour exposure to drugs at the peak plasma concentrations, colony formation by H69, H128 and N231 was reduced more than 50% by cisplatin, etoposide, teniposide and nimustin, by adriamycin, teniposide and ACNU, and by adriamycin, etoposide, teniposide and nimustin, respectively. It was concluded that these three cell lines have similar sensitivity to seven drugs commonly used against small cell lung cancer.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Apoptosis and its modulation in human promyelocytic HL-60 cells treated with DNA topoisomerase I and II inhibitors.

Electron microscopy studies demonstrate unequivocally that the observed oligonucleosome-sized secondary DNA fragmentation in human promyelocytic HL-60 cells treated with the topoisomerase inhibitors camptothecin and teniposide is correlated with the morphological changes in cell structure typical of programmed cell death (apoptosis). Since apoptosis has been associated with potential involvement of intracellular signaling linked to the Ca2+/calmodulin and protein kinase C transduction pathways, we also investigated the effects of signaling modulators on camptothecin- and teniposide-induced secondary DNA fragmentation in HL-60 cells. Neither calcium chelators, calcium/calmodulin inhibitors (calmidazolium or cyclosporine A), protein kinase C stimulation by TPA, protein phosphatase inhibition by okadaic acid, protein kinase inhibition by staurosporine, calphostin C, genistein or H7, nor cell cycle alterations by caffeine had any detectable effect. Interestingly, most of these intracellular signaling modulators were able to induce DNA fragmentation in HL-60 cells by themselves. These results may suggest that even though modulation of these signaling pathways was unable to prevent topoisomerase inhibitor-induced apoptosis, their sole deregulations could induce apoptosis in HL-60 cells. In contrast, aphidicolin blocked camptothecin-induced secondary DNA fragmentation, indicating that replication-induced DNA damage is required for camptothecin- but not teniposide-induced secondary DNA fragmentation. Zinc, 3-aminobenzamide, and spermine also modulated both camptothecin- and teniposide-induced secondary DNA fragmentation without significant alteration of topoisomerase-mediated primary DNA strand breaks. Hence, poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and chromatin structure may be important in modulating oligonucleosome-sized DNA fragmentation associated with apoptosis in HL-60 cells treated with topoisomerase inhibitors.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

Induction of the differentiation of WEHI-3B D+ monomyelocytic leukemia cells by inhibitors of topoisomerase II.

Topoisomerase II has been suggested to have a role in the early events of differentiation. This possibility was evaluated by measuring the effects of inhibitors of topoisomerase II on the induction of the differentiation of WEHI-3B D+ monomyelocytic leukemia cells. Differentiation of this cell line was induced along the granulocytic pathway by treatment with the topoisomerase II inhibitors novobiocin (150-300 microM), teniposide (20-50 nM), etoposide (0.1 microM), elsamicin (0.5 microM), and doxorubicin (40 nM). Maturation was assessed by the morphological appearance of mature forms of the granulocytic lineage, an increase in cell surface Fc receptors, the ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium, and the loss of proliferative capacity. In contrast, the non-topoisomerase II-reactive agent cisplatin and the topoisomerase I-reactive drug camptothecin did not cause the maturation of WEHI-3B D+ cells. Aclacinomycin A and retinoic acid, which are known efficacious inducers of the differentiation of this cell line, affected topoisomerase II extracted from WEHI-3B D+ cells in vitro, causing concentration-dependent inhibition of the strand-passing activity of the enzyme. Treatment of WEHI-3B D+ cells with novobiocin at 150 microM for 3 h or with teniposide at 50 nM for 24 h resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increase in etoposide-induced protein-DNA cross-links. Nuclear proteins in 0.35 M NaCl extracts from cells treated with novobiocin at 150 microM for 3 h or with teniposide at 50 nM for 24 h showed a slight increase in topoisomerase II activity compared to untreated cells. No changes in topoisomerase II levels, as measured by immunoblotting, were detected after treatment of WEHI-3B D+ cells with 150 microM novobiocin or 50 nM teniposide during the first 2 days of treatment. At day 3 of treatment, however, a decrease in topoisomerase II was observed in cells treated with either drug, possibly due to decreased cellular proliferation consequent to cell differentiation. The findings support the conclusion that topoisomerase II may have a role in the induction of granulocytic differentiation of WEHI-3B D+ leukemia cells.

Aclarubicin↗

A study of drug-induced topoisomerase II-mediated DNA lesions on episomal chromatin.

A well defined extrachromosomal DNA element, referred to as an episome (Ostrowski, M., Richard-Foy, H., Wolford, R., Berard, D., and Hager, G. (1983) Mol. Cell. Biol. 3, 2045-2057), was employed as a target for the topoisomerase II inhibitors amsacrine and teniposide. Both drugs have distinct mechanisms of action in cleaving the episome, as defined by topological forms conversion assays. The concentration ranges required to measure episomal cleavage are similar. The onset of damage induced by amsacrine begins within 1 min and is maintained at that level for at least 1 h. Teniposide induces damage that peaks between 30 and 60 min. The amsacrine-induced damage is only partially reversible, whereas teniposide-induced damage is almost completely reversible. Sites of specific cleavage are quite dissimilar. Multiple cleavage sites are formed in the episomal regulatory regions after amsacrine treatment, whereas a single cleavage in the regulatory region and one outside this region are found after teniposide treatment. Transcriptional activation using dexamethasone does not change the amount or site preference of episomal cleavage induced by either agent. Damage to the episome was quantitatively compared with damage produced in genomic DNA between 500 and 24,000 rad equivalents. The study showed that amsacrine has a significant (33-38-fold) preference for episomal DNA over genomic DNA.

Amsacrine↗

Anticancer drugs as inhibitors of two polymorphic cytochrome P450 enzymes, debrisoquin and mephenytoin hydroxylase, in human liver microsomes.

To identify potential substrates for the debrisoquin and mephenytoin hydroxylation polymorphisms, we performed in vitro inhibition studies with human liver microsomes and the respective prototype substrates in the absence and presence of several anticancer drugs. (+)-Bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation (as the prototype reaction for the debrisoquin polymorphism) was tested at 5 microM substrate concentration and in the presence of cyclophosphamide (0 to 200 microM), teniposide (0 to 100 microM), vinblastine (0 to 220 microM), etoposide (0 to 200 microM), flavone acetic acid (0 to 1000 microM), or ifosphamide (0 to 200 microM). (S)-Mephenytoin 4-hydroxylation was tested at 60 microM substrate concentration and in the presence of the same drugs as above; vincristine was also tested at 0 to 200 microM. Teniposide competitively inhibited the 4-hydroxylation of (S)-mephenytoin, with a Ki of 12 microM (Km of the reaction = 65 microM). Etoposide and flavone acetic acid were weaker inhibitors of this reaction. The only agent to inhibit bufuralol hydroxylation was vinblastine, which did so with a Ki of 90 microM (Km of the enzyme for the substrate = 12 microM). We conclude that teniposide and high concentrations of flavone acetic acid could spuriously alter mephenytoin phenotype determination in cancer patients, and that teniposide deserves further investigation as a possible substrate for the genetically regulated mephenytoin hydroxylase.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Analysis of eukaryotic topoisomerase II cleavage sites in the presence of the quinolone CP-115,953 reveals drug-dependent and -independent recognition elements.

The quinolone derivative CP-115,953 [6,8-difluoro-7-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-cyclopropyl-4-quinolone-3-carboxylic acid] has been shown to induce eukaryotic topoisomerase II-mediated breaks in DNA, producing cleavage patterns that are distinct from those induced by the anticancer drugs amsacrine, etoposide, and teniposide. High levels of the quinolone have been found to inhibit topoisomerase II activity via an interaction with the enzyme and not by DNA unwinding. Topoisomerase II cleavage sites were analyzed on nine DNA fragments, and 85 quinolone-induced sites were sequenced, as well as 86 amsacrine and 134 teniposide sites. A consensus sequence was derived for the quinolone sites that is different from those reported for other drugs; however, because topoisomerase II cleavage sites are double-stranded but not palindromic, different consensus sequences are not easily compared. For this reason, a new, double-stranded, consensus sequence method, the "unique-base analysis," was developed; this was applied to the quinolone sites as well as six other large sets of topoisomerase II sites determined in the absence or presence of drugs. For each of the seven sets of sites, conserved bases were found in the 16-base region spanning positions -6 to +10, relative to the enzyme cleavage site (DNA breakage between -1 and +1). The conserved bases were virtually identical in the regions flanking the cleavage site for all seven data sets. In contrast, the base preferences identified proximal to the cleavage sites were unique to the drug tested. These observations suggest that the selection of cleavage sites by topoisomerase II involves both enzyme-dependent and drug-dependent recognition elements. The single most preferred base in the quinolone sites was a cytosine at -1; the same preference was found with teniposide, and 60 of the 85 quinolone sites co-localized with teniposide sites.

Amsacrine↗

Camptothecin and podophyllotoxin derivatives: inhibitors of topoisomerase I and II - mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics and toxicity profile.

Camptothecins represent an established class of effective agents that selectively target topoisomerase I by trapping the catalytic intermediate of the topoisomerase I-DNA reaction, the cleavage complex. The water-soluble salt camptothecin-sodium - introduced in early trials in the 1960s - was highly toxic in animals, whereas the semisynthetic derivatives irinotecan and topotecan did not cause haemorrhagic cystitis because of their higher physicochemical stability and solubility at lower pH values. Myelosuppression, neutropenia and, to a lesser extent, thrombocytopenia are dose-limiting toxic effects of topotecan. In contrast to the structurally-related topotecan, irinotecan is a prodrug which has to be converted to SN-38, its active form. SN-38 is inactivated by conjugation, thus patients with Gilbert's syndrome and other forms of genetic glucuronidation deficiency are at an increased risk of irinotecan-induced adverse effects, such as neutropenia and diarrhoea. The cytotoxic mechanism of podophyllotoxin is the inhibition of topoisomerase II. Common adverse effects of etoposide include dose-limiting myelosuppression. Hypersensitivity reactions are more common with etoposide and teniposide than with etoposide phosphate because the formulations of the former contain sensitising solubilisers. Leukopenia and thrombocytopenia occur in 65% and 80%, respectively, of patients after administration of conventional doses of teniposide. Anorexia, vomiting and diarrhoea are generally of mild severity after administration of conventional doses of topoisomerase II inhibitors. Clinical pharmacokinetic studies have revealed substantial interindividual variabilities regarding the area under the concentration-time curve values and steady-state concentrations for all drugs reviewed in this article. Irinotecan, etoposide and teniposide are degraded via complex metabolic pathways. In contrast, topotecan primarily undergoes renal excretion. Regarding etoposide and teniposide, the extent of catechol formation over time during drug metabolism may be associated with a higher risk for secondary malignancies.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗

Extraocular retinoblastoma: a 13-year experience.

BACKGROUND: The current study was performed to evaluate two regimens of treatment and to describe clinical and epidemiologic characteristics in patients with extraocular retinoblastoma. METHODS: Eighty-three patients with extraocular retinoblastoma according to Childrens Cancer Group (CCG) classification were admitted to the Pediatric Department of the A. C. Camargo between 1987-2000. The age, gender, race, lag time, first clinical presentation, staging, laterality, and treatment regimen were analyzed. Treatment was comprised of cisplatin, teniposide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide during the first treatment period (1987-1991) or cisplatin and teniposide with alternating courses of ifosfamide and etoposide during the second treatment period (1992-2000). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 32.9 months (range, 2-145 months). The mean lag time was 10.5 months. Forty-three patients were treated in the first period and 40 patients were treated in the second period. Locally advanced tumors (Class I-III) were present in 83.1% of the patients. There was a positive correlation between lag time and age for unilateral tumors (correlation coefficient [r] = 0.35; P = 0.006), whereas the correlation was negative for bilateral tumors (r = -0.12; P = 0.63). The 5-year overall survival was 55.1% in the first treatment period and 59.4% in the second treatment period (P = 0.69). No significant differences with regard to survival rates were noted for unilateral tumors between the two treatment periods (44.6 noted for unilateral tumors vs. 59.1 noted for unilateral tumors). CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, the addition of ifosfamide and etoposide to a treatment regimen comprised of cisplatin, teniposide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide did not appear to improve the survival of patients with extraocular retinoblastoma. Patients with dissemination to the central nervous system or metastatic disease remain incurable and die of progressive disease, despite the aggressive treatment. A multicenter trial should be considered to evaluate the best strategy for these situations.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

DNA topoisomerase inhibitors block erythropoiesis and delay hemoglobinization in vitro.

To examine the importance of topological constraints on DNA during erythroid development, we measured the effects of camptothecin and teniposide, two tumoricidal agents which are also specific inhibitors of type I and type II topoisomerases respectively, on the formation of hematopoietic colonies by cultured human bone marrow cells. When added to bone marrow culture, each inhibitor alone impairs the formation of early BFU-E-derived colonies, late CFU-E-derived colonies and mixed hematopoietic (CFU-GEMM-derived) colonies by up to 100%. Inhibition of colony formation is directly related to the time of inhibitor addition and the inhibitor concentration tested. Although either inhibitor alone reduces colony formation by 90%, when added together at a submaximal concentration, camptothecin and teniposide exert a synergistic suppressive effect. Furthermore, addition of topoisomerase inhibitors to culture impairs hemoglobinization of colony erythroblasts in a time-dependent fashion. In contrast to the effects of topoisomerase inhibitors, the antiproliferative agent aphidicolin reduces erythroid colony number and size without altering hemoglobinization of colony erythroblasts. Since neither topoisomerase inhibitor alters the morphology of cultured cells, the capacity of cells to exclude trypan blue or the potential to form erythroid colonies through the interval required for the first progenitor cell division, it is unlikely that camptothecin or teniposide are cytotoxic to hematopoietic cells. Human mononuclear cells enriched in bone marrow lymphocytes and nucleated erythroblasts from both human and mouse sources release DNA into the detergent soluble fraction. Release requires functional topoisomerases and is altered by acute exposure to topoisomerase inhibitors. Our results suggest that topoisomerases are critical not only to proliferation but also to differentiation of human marrow erythroid progenitor cells and stem cells in culture.

Aphidicolin↗

Acute myeloid leukemia in children treated with epipodophyllotoxins for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Treatment of cancer with the epipodophyllotoxins (etoposide and teniposide) has been linked to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in children and adults, but the factors that might influence the risk of this complication of therapy are poorly defined. We therefore assessed the importance of potential risk factors for secondary AML in 734 consecutive children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who attained complete remission and received continuation (maintenance) treatment according to different schedules of epipodophyllotoxin administration. RESULTS: Secondary AML was diagnosed in 21 of the 734 patients, in 17 of whom this complication was the initial adverse event. Prolonged administration of epipodophyllotoxin (teniposide with or without etoposide) twice weekly or weekly was independently associated with the development of secondary AML (P less than 0.01 by Cox regression analysis). The overall cumulative risk of AML at six years was 3.8 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 2.3 percent to 6.1 percent); but within the subgroups treated twice weekly or weekly, the risks were 12.3 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 5.7 percent to 25.4 percent) and 12.4 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 6.1 percent to 24.4 percent), respectively. In the subgroups not treated with epipodophyllotoxins or treated with them only during remission induction or every two weeks during continuation treatment, the highest cumulative risk was 1.6 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 0.4 percent to 6.1 percent). After adjustment for treatment frequency, there was no apparent relation between the total dose of epipodophyllotoxins and the development of secondary AML. The relative hazard of etoposide as compared with teniposide could not be determined. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of epipodophyllotoxin-related AML depends largely on the schedule of drug administration. Other factors, including the cumulative dose of epipodophyllotoxin, radiotherapy, and the initial biologic features of the leukemic blast cells, do not appear to have critical roles.

Acute Disease↗

Induction of somatic mutation and recombination by four inhibitors of eukaryotic topoisomerases assayed in the wing spot test of Drosophila melanogaster.

Four inhibitors of eukaryotic topoisomerases were investigated for genotoxic effects in the wing spot test of Drosophila melanogaster. As a somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) this assay assesses mitotic recombination and mutational events of various kinds. We studied camptothecin as a topoisomerase I inhibitor, as well as ellipticine as an intercalating inhibitor and teniposide and etoposide as two non-intercalating inhibitors of topoisomerase II. Wing spots were induced in flies trans-heterozygous for the recessive wing cell markers multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare (flr3) as well as in flies heterozygous for mwh and the multiply inverted TM3 balancer chromosome. All four compounds proved significantly genotoxic in this test. The spot induction frequencies formally standardized to the millimolar unit of exposure dose decreased in the order camptothecin > teniposide > ellipticine greater, similar etoposide in the mwh/flr3 inversion-free genotype. In the mwh/TM3 genotype, in which mitotic crossing over is suppressed because of the inversion-heterozygosity, the observed spot frequencies were considerably reduced, but to different extents. In this genotype, spot induction by ellipticine was not statistically significant, and it was determined that >99% of the spots are due to mitotic recombination in mwh/flr3 flies. For the other compounds, spot induction in the inversion-heterozygous genotype was significant. The relative contribution of recombination to total spot induction in the inversion-free genotype was 88% for camptothecin. It was significantly lower for the two epipodophyllotoxins teniposide (71%) and etoposide (59%). Only suggestions can be proffered at present as to how these proportions could be related to the primary damage produced by the respective compounds on the chromosomes.

Animals↗