Kathleen E. Sampson

Transfection of a mutant regulatory subunit gene of cAMP-dependent protein kinase causes increased drug sensitivity and decreased expression of P-glycoprotein.

Wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were transfected with a DNA clone (MT-REV, site A) carrying a mouse gene for a dominant mutant regulatory subunit (RI) gene of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) from S49 cells along with a marker for G418 resistance. G418-resistant transfectant clone R-2D1 was resistant to 8-Br-cAMP-induced growth inhibition and morphological changes. The cells also did not phosphorylate a 50-kDa protein after cAMP stimulation and had decreased PKA activity, both characteristics of PKA mutants. Northern blot analysis indicated that clone R-2D1 was actively transcribing the MT-REV (site A)-specific RNA. We also tested clone R-2D1 for sensitivity to certain natural product hydrophobic drugs and found increased sensitivity to several drugs including adriamycin. Hypersensitivity to these drugs has previously been shown by us to be a characteristic of a CHO PKA mutant cell line. Expression of the mutant RI gene is also associated with a decrease in expression of the multidrug resistance associated P-glycoprotein (gp170) mRNA and protein. These results show that the PKA mutant RI gene from S49 cells acts as a dominant mutation to reduce the total PKA activity in the CHO transfectants as it does in mouse S49 cells. This study also confirms that reduced PKA activity modulates the basal multidrug resistance of these cells, apparently by causing decreased expression of the mdr gene at the protein and mRNA level.

Staurosporine reduces P-glycoprotein expression and modulates multidrug resistance.

We have investigated the effect of staurosporine and other kinase inhibitors on the mRNA and protein levels of the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in multidrug resistant (MDR) cells. Treatment of human MDR KB-V1 cells with staurosporine for 24 h caused up to a 50% decrease in the amount of P-gp mRNA and protein present. Co-treatment of KB-V1 cells with verapamil, a known reversal agent, plus staurosporine, H-9, or K252a resulted in an enhanced sensitization of cells to vinblastine than with verapamil alone. These findings support a role for protein kinases in the control of multidrug resistance through effects on P-gp levels.

Identification and sequence of human PKY, a putative kinase with increased expression in multidrug-resistant cells, with homology to yeast protein kinase Yak1.

We have previously shown that several protein kinases are present in higher activity levels in multidrug resistant cell lines, such as KB-V1. We have now isolated a gene that codes for a putative protein kinase, PKY, of over 130 kDa that is expressed at higher levels in multidrug-resistant cells. RNA from KB-V1 multidrug-resistant cells was reverse-transcribed and amplified by using primers derived from consensus regions of serine threonine kinases and amplified fragments were used to recover overlapping clones from a KB-V1 cDNA library. An open reading frame of 3648 bp of DNA sequence predicting 1215 aa, has been identified. This cDNA hybridizes to a mRNA of about 7 kb which is expressed at high levels in human heart and muscle tissue and overexpressed in drug-resistant KB-V1 and HL60/ADR cells. Because its closest homolog is the yeast serine/threonine kinase, Yak1, we have called this gene PKY. PKY is also related to the protein kinase family that includes Cdks, Gsk-3, and MAPK proline-directed protein kinases. This protein represents the first of its type known in mammals and may be involved in growth control pathways similar to those described for Yak1, as well as possibly playing a role in multidrug resistance.

Non-glucocorticoid steroid analogues (21-aminosteroids) sensitize multidrug resistant cells to vinblastine

Several members of a group of compounds developed to treat stroke and trauma of the central nervous system are shown also to reverse multidrug resistance in human KB-V1 cells. The most potent reversal agents studied are 21-aminosteroid derivatives (lazaroids), tirilazad mesylate (tirilazad, U-74006F) and U-74389F. Tirilazad sensitizes resistant human cells (KB-V1) to killing by vinblastine by 66-fold, but does not change the sensitivity of the nonresistant parental line, KB-3-1, to vinblastine. KB-V1 cell membranes have high levels of P-glycoprotein, a protein that acts as an efflux pump and is thought to be the major cause of multidrug resistance in these cells. Tirilazad inhibits the photoaffinity labeling of P-glycoprotein with [3H]azidopine in KB-V1 cells more effectively than does verapamil, a standard reversal agent. In addition, tirilazad causes, the increased accumulation of [3H] vinblastine in multidrug resistant KB-V1 cells. Studies of the resistance reversal potential of related compounds suggest that the complex amine portion of tirilazad is important for its reversal activity, while the steroid portion is less important.