Ana Maria Ibrado

Co-expression of several molecular mechanisms of multidrug resistance and their significance for paclitaxel cytotoxicity in human AML HL-60 cells

Overexpression of P-glycoprotein (PGP), MRP or LRP has been characterized as the ‘proximal’, while overexpression of the anti-apoptosis Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL relative to the pro-apoptosis Bax protein has been recognized as the ‘distal’ mechanism of multidrug resistance in human AML cells. In the present studies, we examined whether these mechanisms can co-exist in human AML HL-60 cells. We also determined how these mechanisms would affect the accumulation and cytotoxicity of a PGP substrate, such as Taxol (paclitaxel). For this, immunoblot analyses were performed to determine the expression of PGP, MRP, Myc, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Bax on either the multidrug-resistant HL-60 sublines created under the selection pressure of doxorubicin (HL-60/AR), paclitaxel (HL-60/TAX1000) or vincristine (HL-60/VCR), or sublines created by transfection and overexpression of the bcl-2 (HL-60/Bcl-2) or bcl-xL gene (HL-60/Bcl-xL). As compared to the control HL-60, HL-60/AR cells possess high MRP while HL-60/TAX1000 and HL-60/VCR cells express high levels of the mdr-1 encoded PGP. In addition, these multidrug-resistant cells possess 1.5- to 2.5-fold higher Bcl-2, while their Bax and Myc levels are similar to those in the control HL-60 cells. HL-60/TAX1000 and HL-60/VCR cells also express three- and 2.5-fold higher Bcl-xL levels. PGP, but not MRP, overexpression significantly impaired paclitaxel accumulation and paclitaxel-induced apoptosis, as well as reduced its cytotoxic effects as determined by the MTT assay. In contrast, enforced and much higher expression of Bcl-2 in HL-60/Bcl-2 (five-fold) or Bcl-xL in HL-60/Bcl-xL cells (10-fold) significantly reduced paclitaxel-induced apoptosis and the loss of cell viability, without affecting its intracellular accumulation. These results confirm the possibility of co-expression of multiple mechanisms of multidrug resistance in human leukemic cells which had been selected by exposure to a single drug. The results also indicate that MRP overexpression does not confer resistance against paclitaxel. In addition, these findings suggest that, for Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, enforced overexpression to high levels is necessary to induce paclitaxel resistance in HL-60 cells.

Temporal relationship of CDK1 activation and mitotic arrest to cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome C and caspase-3 activity during Taxol-induced apoptosis of human AML HL-60 cells

The antimicrotubule anticancer drug, Taxol, suppresses microtubule dynamics, causes mitotic arrest, and induces caspase-3 cleavage and activity resulting in apoptosis of human AML HL-60 cells. Caspase-3 cleavage is triggered by the mitochondrial release and cytosolic accumulation of the electron transfer protein, cytochrome c (cyt c). Taxol-induced G2/M transition is mediated by p34cdc-2 (CDK1) which, if prematurely activated, may also trigger apoptosis. In the present studies following S-phase synchronization and release, HL-60 cells with enforced expression of the bcl-xL (HL-60/Bcl-xL) and/or neomycin resistance gene (HL-60/neo) were exposed to Taxol to examine CDK1-related cell-cycle events and the cyt c-triggered molecular cascade of apoptosis. At various time-intervals after Taxol treatment, immunoblot analyses of cyclin B1 and CDK1 levels were performed. In addition, the in vitro histone H1 kinase activity of immunoprecipitated CDK1 and its tyrosine phosphorylation status (by anti-phosphotyrosine immunoblot analysis) were determined. Data presented here show that, while Taxol-induced peak CDK1 kinase activity occurs earlier in HL-60/neo cells, there are no significant differences in cyclin B1 accumulation, tyrosine dephosphorylation of CDK1, and mitotic arrest of Taxol-treated HL-60/neo vs HL-60/Bcl-xL cells. Taxol-induced CDK1 activation and mitosis preceded the cytosolic accumulation (six-fold) of cyt c. The latter event was blocked by Bcl-xL overexpression but not by inhibitors of caspase-3. Although the caspase inhibitors and high Bcl-xL levels inhibited caspase-3 cleavage and activity, they did not significantly affect Taxol-induced CDK1 activation or mitotic arrest. These findings indicate that Bcl-xL overexpression does not affect Taxol-induced CDK1 activity leading to G2/M transition, which temporally precedes the cytosolic cyt c-mediated cleavage and activity of caspase-3 and apoptosis.