Abstract
The anticancer drug, distamycin A, alters DNA conformation by binding to A/T-rich domains. We propose that binding of the drug to DNA alters transcription factor interactions and that this may alter genetic regulation. We have analyzed the effects of distamycin A upon expression of the muscle-specific cardiac and skeletal α-actin genes which have A/T-rich regulatory elements in their promoters. Distamycin A specifically inhibited endogenous muscle genes in the myogenic C2 cell line and effectively eliminated the myogenic program. Conversely, when 10T1/2C18 derived pleuripotential TA1 cells were induced to differentiate in the presence of distamycin A, adipocyte differentiation was enhanced whereas the numbers of cells committing to the myogenic program decreased dramatically. Using the mobility shift assay, distamycin A selectively inhibited binding of two important transcription factors, SRF and MEF2, to their respective A/T-rich elements. The binding of factors Sp1 and MyoD wer ffected. The inhibition of factor binding correlated with a repression of muscle-specific promoter activity as assayed by transient transfection assays. Co-expression of the myoD gene, driven by a distamycin A-insensitive promoter, failed to relieve the inhibition of these muscle-specific promoters by distamycin A. Additionally, SRF and MEF2 dependent promoters were selectively down regulated by distamycin A. These results suggest that distamycin A may inhibit muscle-specific gene expression by selectively interfering with transcription factor interactions and demonstrate the importance of these A/T-rich elements in regulating differentiation of this specific cell type.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hahn F: Mechanism of action of antimicrobial and antitumor agents. In: J Corcoran, F Hahn (eds). Antibiotics III. Springer-Vaerlag: New York, 1975, p. 75
Kopka M, Yoon C, Goodsell D, Pjura P, Dickerson R: The molecular origin of DNA-drug specificity in netropsin and distamycin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82: 1376–1380, 1985
Portugal J, Waring M: Comparison of binding sites in DNA for berenil, netropsin and distamycin: a footprinting study. Eur J Biochem 167: 281–289, 1987
Bruzik J, Auble D, deHaseth P: Specific activation of transcription initiation by the sequence specific DNA binding agents distamycin A and Netropsin. Biochemistry 26: 950–956, 1987
Straney D, Crothers D: Effect of drug-DNA interactions upon transcription initiation at the lac promoter. Biochemistry 26: 1987–1995, 1987
Lown J, Krowicki K, Balzarini J, DeClercq E: Structure-activity relationship of novel oligopeptide anti-viral anti-tumor agents related to Netropsin and Distamycin. J Med Chem 29: 1210–1214, 1986
Low C, Drew H, Warring M: Echinomycin and distamycin induce rotation of nucleosome core DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 14: 6785–6801, 1986
Broggini M, Ponti M, Ottolenghi S, D'Incalci M, Mongelli N, Mantovani R: Distamycins inhibit the binding of OTF-1 and NFE-1 transfactors to their conserved DNA elements. Nuc Acids Res 17: 1051–1055, 1989
Davis R, Weintraub H, Lassar A: Expression of a single transfected cDNA converts fibroblasts to myoblasts. Cell 51: 987–1000, 1987
Wright W, Sassoon D, Lin V: Myogenin, a factor regulating myogenesis, has a domain homologous to MyoD. Cell 56: 607–617, 1989
Braun T, Buschhausen-Denker G, Bober E, Tannich E, Arnold H: A novel human muscle factor related to but distinct from MyoD1 in-duces myogenic conversion in 10T1/2 fibroblasts. EMBO J 8: 701–709, 1989
Braun T, Bober E, Winter B, Rosenthal N, Arnold H: MYF-6, a new member of the human gene family of myogenic determination factors: Evidence for a gene cluster of chromosome 12. EMBO J 9: 821–831, 1990
Miner J, Wold B: Herculin, a fourth member of the MyoD family of myogenic regulatory genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci 87: 1089–1093, 1990
Rhodes S, Konieczny S: Identification of MRF-4: a new member of the muscle regulatory gene family. Genes Dev 3: 2050–2061, 1989
Gossett L, Kelvin D, Sternberg E, Olson E: A new myocyte-specific enhancer binding factor that recognizes a conserved element associated with multiple muscle-specific genes. Mol Cell Biol 9: 5022–5033, 1989
Martin J, Schwarz J, Olson E: Myocyte enhancer factor (MEF) 2C: A tissue-restricted member of the MEF-2 family of transcription factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90: 5282–5286, 1993
Breitbart R, Liang C, Smoot L, Laheru D, Mahdavi V, Nadal-Ginard B: A fourth human MEF2 transcription factor, hMEF2D, is an early marker of the myogenic lineage. Development 118: 1095–1106, 1993
Andres V, Fisher S, Wearsch P, Walsh K: Regulation of Gax homeobox gene transcription by a combination of positive factors including myo-cytespecific enhancer factor 2. Mol Cell Biol 8: 4272–4281, 1995
Yu Y.-T, Brietbart S, Lee Y, Mahdavi V, Nadal-Ginard B: Human myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2 comprises a group of tissue-restricted MADS box transcription factors. Genes and Dev. 6: 1783–1798, 1992
Nurrish S, Treisman R: DNA binding specificity determinants in MADS-box transcription factors. Mol Cell Biol 8: 4076–4085, 1995
Edmondson D, Cheng T.-C, Cserjesi P, Chakraborty T, Olson E: Analysis of the myogenin promoter reveals an indirect pathway for positive auto-regulation mediated by the muscle-specific enhancer factor MEF-2. Cell. 12: 3665–3677, 1992
Molkentin J, Black B, Martin J, Olson E: Cooperative activation of muscle gene expression by MEF2 and myogenic bHLH proteins. Cell 83: 1125–1136, 1995
Gustafson T, Kedes L: Identification of multiple proteins which interact with functional regions of the human cardiac a-actin promoter. Mol Cell Biol 9: 3269–3283, 1989
Minty A, Kedes L: Upstream regions of the human cardiac actin gene that modulate its transcription in muscle cells: presence of an evolutionary conserved repeated motif. Mol Cell Biol 6: 2125–2136, 1986
Muscat G, Perry S, Prentice H, Kedes L: The human skeletal a-actin gene is regulated by a muscle-specific enhancer that binds three nuclear factors. Gene Expr 2: 111–126, 1992
Taylor A, Erba H, Muscat G, Kedes L: Nucleotide sequence and expression of the human skeletal α-actin gene: evolution of functional regulatory domains. Genomics 3: 323–336, 1988
Boxer L, Prywes R, Roeder R, Kedes L: The Sarcomeric actin CArG-binding factor is indistinguishable from the c-fos serum response factor. Mol Cell Biol 9: 515–522, 1989
Sartorelli V, Webster K, Kedes L: Muscle-specific expression of the cardiac alpha-actin gene requires MyoD1, CArG-box binding factor, and Sp1. Genes and Dev 4: 1811–1822, 1990
Gustalson T, Taylor A, Kedes L: DNA bending is induced by a transcription factor which interacts with the human c-fos and α-actin promoter. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86: 2162–2166, 1989
Yaffe D, Saxel O: Serial passaging and differentiation of myogenic cells isolated from dystrophic mouse muscle. Nature 270: 725–727, 1977
Chapman A, Knight D, Dieckmann B, Ringold G: Analysis of gene. expression during differentiation of adipogenic cells in culture and hormonal control of the developmental program. J Biol Chem 259: 15548–15555, 1984
Miller S, Ito H, Blau H, Torti F: Tumor necrosis factor inhibits human myogenesis in vitro. Mol Cell Biol 8: 2295–2301, 1988
Graham F, Van der Eb A: A new technique for the assay of infectivity of human adenovirus 5 DNA. Virology 52: 456–457, 1973
Gorman C, Moffat L, Howard B: Recombinant genomes which express chloramphenicol acetyl-transferase in mammalian cell. Mol Cell Biol 2: 1044–1051, 1982
Dignam J, Lebovitz R, Roeder R: Accurate transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II in a soluble extract from isolated mammalian nuclei. Nuc Acids Res 11: 1475–1489, 1983
Bradford M: A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein dye binding. Anal Biochem 72: 248–254, 1976
Gunning P, Hardeman E, Wade R, Ponte P, Bains W, Blau H, Kedes L: Differential patterns of transcript accumulation during human myogenesis. Mol Cell Biol 7: 4100–4114, 1987
Ponte P, Gunning P, Blau H, Kedes L: Human actin genes are single copy for α-skeletal and α-cardiac actin but multicopy for β- and γ -cytoskeletal genes: 3' untranslated regions are isotype specific but are conserved in evolution. Mol Cell Biol 3: 1783–1791, 1983
Webster K: Regulation of glycolytic enzyme RNA transcription rates by oxygen availability in skeletal muscle cells. Mol Cell Biochem 77: 19–28, 1987
Wells D, Hoffman D, Kedes L: Unusual structure, evolutionary conservation of non coding sequences and numerous pseudogenes characterize the human H3.3 histone multigene family. Nucleic Acids Res 15: 2871–2889, 1987
Webster K, Muscat G, Kedes L: Adenovirus E1A products suppress myogenic differentiation and inhibit transcription from muscle-specific promoters. Nature 332: 553–556, 1988
Fisch T, Prywes R, Roeder R: c-fos Sequences necessary for basal expression and induction by epidermal growth factor, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, and the calcium ionophore. Mol Cell Biol 7: 3490–3502, 1987
Kong Y, Johnson S, Taparowsky E, Konieczny S: Ras p21Va1 inhibits myogenesis without altering the DNA binding or transcriptional activities of the myogenic basic helix loop-helix factors. Mol Cell Biol 10: 5205–5213, 1995
Gunning P, Leavitt J, Muscat G, Ng S-Y, Kedes L: A human betaactin expression vector directs high-level accumulation of anti-sense transcripts. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84: 4831–4835, 1987
Childs G, Maxson R, Kedes L: Histone gene expression during sea urchin embryogenesis: isolation and characterization of early and late messenger RNAs of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus by gene specific hybridization and template activity. Dev Biol 73: 153–173, 1979
Maniatis T, Fritch E, Sambrook J: In: Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NJ, 1982
Ito H, Miller S, Akinoto H, Torti S, Taylor A, Billingham M, Torti F: Quantitative evaluation of mRNA levels by the polymerase chain reaction in small cardiac tissue samples. J Mol and Cell Cardiology 23: 1117–1125, 1991
Fried M, Crothers D: Equilibria and kinetics of lac repressor-operator interactions by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Nuc Acids Res 9: 6505–6525, 1981
Miwa T, Kedes L: Duplicated CArG box domains have positive and mutually dependent regulatory roles in expression of the human α-cardiac actin gene. Mol Cell Biol 8: 2803–2813, 1987
Buckingham M: Actin and myosin multigene families: their expression during the formation of skeletal muscle. Essays in Biochem 20: 77–109, 1985
Emerson CP: Myogenesis and developmental control genes. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2: 1065–1075, 1990
Carmon Y, Czosnek H, Nudel U, Shani M, Yaffe D: DNAase I sensitivity of genes expressed during myogenesis. Nuc Acids Res 10: 3085–3098, 1982
Yisraeli J, Adelstein R, Melloul D, Nudel U, Yaffe D, Cedar H: Muscle-specific activation of a methylated chimeric actin gene. Cell 46: 409–416, 1986
Maniatis T, Goodbourn S, Fischer J: Regulation of inducible and tissue-specific gene expression. Science 236: 1237–1245, 1987
Weintraub H: Assembly and propagation of repressed and derepressed chromosomal states. Cell 42: 705–711, 1985
Wilder E, Linzer D: Participation of multiple factors, including proliferin, in the inhibition of myogenic differentiation. Mol Cell Biol 9: 430–441, 1989
Blau H, Epstein C: Manipulation of myogenesis in vitro: reversible inhibition by DMSO. Cell 17: 95–108, 1979
Li L, Zhou J, James G, Heller-Harrison R, Czech M, Olson E: FGF inactivates myogenic helix-loop-helix proteins through phosporylation of a conserved protein kinase C site in their DNA-binding domains. Cell 71: 1181–1194, 1992
Massague J, Cheifetz S, Endo T, Nadal-Ginard B: Type b transforming growth factor is an inhibitor of myogenic differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83: 8206–8210, 1986
Olson E: Interplay between proliferation and differentiation within the myogenic lineage. Dev Biol 154: 261–272, 1992
Alema S, Tato F: Oncogenes and muscle differentiation: multiple mechanisms of interference. Cancer Biol 5: 147–156, 1994
Bengal E, Ransone L, Scharfmann R, Dwarki V, Tapscott S, Weintraub H, Verma I: Functional antagonism between c-Jun and MyoD proteins: a direct physical association. Cell 68: 507–519, 1992
Falcone G, Tato F, Alema S: Distinctive effects of the viral oncogenes myc, erb, fps, and src of the differentiation program of quail myogenic cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82: 426–430, 1985
Olson E, Spizz G, Tainsky M: The oncogenic forms of N-ras or H-ras prevent skeletal myoblast differentiation. Mol Cell Biol 7: 2104–2111, 1987
Weintraub H: The MyoD family and myogenesis: redundancy, networks, and thresholds. Cell 75: 1241–1244, 1993
Hogan M, Dattagupta N, Crothers D: Transmission of allosteric effects in DNA.Nature 279: 521–524, 1979
Cserjesi P, Lilly B, Bryson L, Wang Y, Sassoon D, Olson E: MHox: a mesodermally restricted homeodomain protein that binds an essential site in the muscle creatine kinase enhancer. Development 115: 1087–1101, 1992
Duprey P, Lesens C: Control of skeletal muscle-specific transcription: involvement of paired homeodomain and MADS domain transcription factors. Int J Dev Biol 3X: 591–604, 1994
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Taylor, A., Webster, K.A., Gustafson, T.A. et al. The anti-cancer agent distamycin A displaces essential transcription factors and selectively inhibits myogenic differentiation. Mol Cell Biochem 169, 61–72 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006898812618
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006898812618