William H. Haile

5-Amino-4-Imidazolecarboxamide Riboside Potentiates Both Transport of Reduced Folates and Antifolates by the Human Reduced Folate Carrier and Their Subsequent Metabolism

Transport is required before reduced folates and anticancer antifolates [e.g., methotrexate (MTX)] exert their physiologic functions or cytotoxic effects. The folate/antifolate transporter with the widest tissue distribution and greatest activity is the reduced folate carrier (RFC). There is little evidence that RFC-mediated influx is posttranscriptionally regulated. We show that [(3)H]MTX influx in CCRF-CEM human childhood T-leukemia cells is potentiated up to 6-fold by exogenous 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside (AICAr) in a AICAr and MTX concentration-dependent manner. Metabolism to more biologically active polyglutamate forms is also potentiated for MTX and other antifolates. That potentiation of influx by AICAr is mediated by effects on the RFC is supported by analyses +/-AICAr showing (a) similarity and magnitude of kinetic constants for [(3)H]MTX influx; (b) similarity of inhibitory potency of known RFC substrates; (c) lack of potentiation in a CCRF-CEM subline that does not express the RFC; and (d) similarity of time and temperature dependence. Potentiation occurs rapidly and does not require new protein synthesis. Effects of specific inhibitors of folate metabolism and the time and sequence of AICAr incubation with cells suggest that both dihydrofolate reductase inhibition and metabolism of AICAr are essential for potentiation. Acute folate deficiency or incubation of CCRF-CEM with AICAr-related metabolites (e.g., adenosine) does not initiate potentiation. AICAr increases growth inhibitory potency of MTX and aminopterin against CCRF-CEM cells when both AICAr and antifolate are present for the first 24 hours of a 120-hour growth period. AICAr is the first small molecule that regulates RFC activity.

Potent inhibition of human folylpolyglutamate synthetase by a phosphinic acid mimic of the tetrahedral reaction intermediate

A phosphorous-containing pseudopeptide folate analog (Valiaeva et al., J Org Chem 2001;66:5146-54) was designed to mimic the tetrahedral intermediate formed in the ATP-dependent reaction catalyzed by folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS). This analog, methotrexate-phosphinate (MTX-phosphinate; 4-amino-4-deoxy-10-methylpteroyl-L-Glu-gamma-[psi(P(O)(OH)-CH(2))]glutarate), is a highly potent (K(is), 3.1+/-0.5 nM), competitive inhibitor of recombinant human cytosolic FPGS. Within experimental limits, FPGS inhibition was not time-dependent, and preincubation of FPGS, inhibitor, and ATP did not potentiate the inhibition. These results suggest that slow phosphorylation to produce a more potent inhibitor form is not involved. MTX-phosphinate was not growth inhibitory to human CCRF-CEM leukemia cells at 1 microM (70-fold above the concentration of MTX giving 50% growth inhibition), probably because of poor transport. Because of its exceedingly high potency as an FPGS inhibitor, MTX-phosphinate represents a lead structure from which cell-permeable analogs may be developed to test the hypothesis that FPGS inhibition is therapeutically efficacious.

Interaction of d, l-erythro- and d,l-threo-γ-fluoromethotrexate with human leukemia cell dihydrofolate reductase

Gamma-fluoromethotrexate (FMTX) is a poorly glutamylated mimic of the anti-cancer drug methotrexate (MTX) which is useful in studies of the roles of MTX poly-gamma-glutamates. A second chiral center occurs at C-4 of the 4-fluoroglutamate used to synthesize FMTX and, as a consequence, FMTX occurs as both D,L-erythro and D,L-threo diastereomers. The interaction of both diastereomers with intracellular dihydrofolate reductase has been examined in the human leukemia cell line CCRF-CEM, using a centrifugal column technique. Measurements of the rate at which radiolabel was displaced from [3H]MTX-saturated dihydrofolate reductase following suspension of the cells in unlabeled drug indicated that MTX and the erythro isomer of FMTX gave essentially the same rate of displacement; the rate of displacement by the threo isomer of FMTX was slower, but the interpretation of these data was ambiguous since the rate of transport of threo-FMTX may have been limiting. In reciprocal experiments in which dihydrofolate reductase was saturated with [3H]erythro-FMTX, the erythro isomer and MTX again behaved equivalently in terms of displacement. When dihydrofolate reductase was saturated with [3H]threo-FMTX, the radiolabel was clearly displaced at a much faster rate than either other radiolabel regardless of whether the displacing agent was MTX or the isomer. These results indicate a distinct stereospecificity for interaction of inhibitor with dihydrofolate reductase in which the threo isomer has a faster off-rate. Of the two FMTX diastereomers, the erythro isomer thus most closely mimics the properties of MTX.

Studies on the Cross-Resistance of Folylpolyglutamate Synthetase-Deficient, Methotrexate-Resistant CCRF-CEM Human Leukemia Sublines

CCRF-CEM human leukemia cell lines resistant to “intermittent”, but not continuous, exposure to methotrexate (MTX) as a result of defective MTX polyglutamate synthesis were recently described1. This defective synthesis was traced to decreased folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) activity; the FPGS level was inversely related to the degree of resistance2. The responses of CCRF-CEM sublines, which exhibit this new MTX resistance phenotype, to selected currently used and experimental anticancer agents and regimens were explored with particular regard to identifying cross-resistance and collateral sensitivity.

Inhibition of human folylpolyglutamate synthetase by diastereomeric phosphinic acid mimics of the tetrahedral intermediate.

Phosphorus-containing pseudopeptides, racemic at the C-terminal alpha-carbon, are potent mechanism-based inhibitors of folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS). They are mimics of the tetrahedral intermediate postulated to form during FPGS-catalyzed biosynthesis of poly(gamma-l-glutamates). In the present paper, the FPGS inhibitory activity of each diastereomer coupled to three heterocycles is reported. The high R(f) pseudopeptide containing the 5,10-dideazatetrahydropteroyl (DDAH(4)Pte) heterocycle is most potent (K(is) = 1.7 nM). While the heterocyclic portion affects absolute FPGS inhibitory potency, the high R(f) species is more potent in each pair containing the same heterocycle. This species presumably has the same stereochemistry as the natural folate polyglutamate, i.e., (l-Glu-gamma-l-Glu). Unexpectedly, the low R(f) (presumed l-Glu-gamma-d-Glu) species are only slightly less potent (<30-fold) than their diastereomers. Further study of this phenomenon comparing l-Glu-gamma-l-Glu and l-Glu-gamma-d-Glu dipeptide-containing FPGS substrates shows that <1% contamination of commercial d-Glu precursors by l-Glu may give misleading information if l-Glu-gamma-l-Glu substrates have low K(m) values.