Elsevier

Biochemical Pharmacology

Volume 43, Issue 3, 4 February 1992, Pages 545-551
Biochemical Pharmacology

Cellular uptake and tubulin binding properties of four vinca alkaloids

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(92)90577-6Get rights and content

Abstract

The in vitro effects of four Vinca alkaloids, vinblastine (VLB), vincristine (VCR), vindesine (VDS) and vinepidine (VPD), on B16 melanoma proliferation, binding to bovine brain tubulin and B16 melanoma cell extracts, and uptake by the B16 cells were compared. The relative binding affinities to bovine brain tubulin were VPD > VCR ⋍ VDS > VLB with the Ka for VPD being about 4-fold higher than that for VLB. On the other hand, the relative effects on B16 cell proliferation were exactly the opposite. Differences were found in the degree of concentration of the four alkaloids by the cells: 100-fold for VLB, 50-fold for VCR and VDS, and 20-fold for VPD. At the extracellular concentrations of drugs which inhibit proliferation by 50%, the intracellular concentration would still be far less than the tubulin concentration. Thus, it is likely that all of the Vinca alkaloids would be bound to tubulin and difference in uptake rather than Ka values is the major factor in determining the relative effectiveness of the drugs. L cells showed 50% the sensitivity of B16 melanoma cells toward VLB and 30% the sensitivity toward VPD. The L cells also concentrated these drugs to a lesser extent than did the B16 cells.

References (34)

  • L Wilson et al.

    Interaction of drugs with microtubule proteins

  • WA Creasey

    Biochemistry of the dimeric Catharanthus alkaloids

  • L Wilson et al.

    Nonstoichiometric poisoning of microtubule polymerization: A model for the mechanism of action of the Vinca alkaloids, phodophyllotoxin and colchicine

  • MA Jordan et al.

    Mechanism of inhibition of cell proliferation by Vinca alkaloids

    Cancer Res

    (1991)
  • RC Weisenberg et al.

    Aggregation of microtubule subunit protein. Effects of divalent cations, colchicine and vinblastine

    Biochemistry

    (1970)
  • RH Owellen et al.

    Inhibition of tubulin-microtubule polymerization by drugs of the Vinca alkaloid class

    Cancer Res

    (1976)
  • WD Singer et al.

    Binding of vinblastine to stabilized microtubules

    Mol Pharmacol

    (1989)
  • Cited by (43)

    • Targets and mechanisms of chemically induced aneuploidy. Part 1 of the report of the 2017 IWGT workgroup on assessing the risk of aneugens for carcinogenesis and hereditary diseases

      2019, Mutation Research - Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis
      Citation Excerpt :

      The reader is referred to Lu et al. [98] for an overview of other tubulin inhibitors that interact with the colchicine binding site. The binding properties of various vinca alkaloids with tubulin have also been described in the literature [99,100]. KE1: Disruption of microtubule dynamics.

    • Structural and biochemical analyses reveal the mechanism of glutathione S-transferase Pi 1 inhibition by the anti-cancer compound piperlongumine

      2017, Journal of Biological Chemistry
      Citation Excerpt :

      A leading hypothesis is that entrapment of hPL within cells leads to elevated intracellular concentrations of hPL that are required for inhibition of GSTP1. Of note, this mechanism of entrapment where compound exit from the cell is impeded has been reported for other compounds including chemotherapeutics such as vinblastine (30). It should be noted that despite initial reports that the primary target of PL is GSTP1, additional potential targets for the molecular mechanism of the action of PL have been put forward, including: Keap1 (31), PI3K/AKT/mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) (6), the nuclear transporter CRM (chromosome maintenance region) (32), NF-κB pathway (3, 33, 35), peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4) (36), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) activation (37), signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 (4), p38 (7, 39), and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) (40).

    • Cytostatic drugs

      2005, Side Effects of Drugs Annual
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text