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Intoplicine (RP 60475, NSC 645008) is an antitumor derivative in the 7H-benzo[e]pyrido[4,3-b]indole series which is now being tested in clinical trials. Intoplicine strongly binds DNA (KA = 2 x 10(5) M-1) and thereby increases the length of linear DNA. These properties are consistent with DNA unwinding by intoplicine. Intoplicine was found to be a dual topoisomerase I and II inhibitor, with DNA sites of enzyme inhibition being different for these two enzymes. In this study, 22 analogues of intoplicine were evaluated for their effects on topoisomerase I- and II-mediated DNA cleavage reactions by using enzymes purified from calf thymus. Site-specific DNA cleavage mediated by topoisomerase I was observed with 7H-benzo[e]pyrido[4,3-b]indole derivatives but not with 11H-benzo[g]-pyrido[4,3-b]indole derivatives. Site-specific DNA cleavage mediated by topoisomerase II occurred with derivatives having hydroxyl groups at the 3-position on the 7H-benzo[e]pyrido[4,3-b]indole ring or at the 4-position on the 11H-benzo[g]pyrido[4,3-b]indole ring. Study of the relationships between the in vivo antitumor activity on P388 leukemia and the topoisomerase I- and/or II-mediated DNA cleavage activity revealed that the most highly active antitumor compounds possessed both topoisomerase I-and II-inhibitory properties. Compounds selectively inhibiting either topoisomerase I or II were less active. These results suggest that dual topoisomerase I and II inhibition is critical for the antitumor activity of this new series of antitumor compounds.

The antileukemic alkaloid, fagaronine, is a potent differentiation inducer of various hematopoietic cell lines. We show here that fagaronine is a DNA base-pair intercalator with a K(app) of 2.1 x 10(5) M-1 for calf thymus DNA. Fagaronine inhibits the catalytic activity of purified calf thymus topoisomerase I as shown by relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA followed by electrophoresis in neutral as well as in chloroquine-containing gels. The catalytic activity of topoisomerase I is inhibited at concentrations above 30 microM. Fagaronine also inhibits the catalytic activity of purified calf thymus topoisomerase II at concentrations above 25 microM as shown by decatenation of kinetoplast DNA. Fagaronine stabilizes the covalent DNA-enzyme reaction intermediate (the cleavable complex) between topoisomerase I and linear pBR322 DNA at concentrations up to 1 microM. Further increase of the fagaronine concentration leads to a progressive decrease in the cleavable complex formation, which is totally inhibited at 100 microM. In contrast, up to 1 microM fagaronine has no effect on cleavable complex formation between purified calf thymus topoisomerase II and linear pBR322 DNA, whereas cleavable complex formation is inhibited at higher concentrations. Exposure to fagaronine results in an increase in DNA-protein complex formation in intact P388 murine leukemia cells. P388CPT5 cells, which have an altered topoisomerase I activity, are 4-fold resistant to the growth inhibitory effects of fagaronine compared to the parental cell line. Similarly, DC-3F/9-OH-E Chinese hamster fibrosarcoma cells, which have an altered topoisomerase II activity, are about 5-fold resistant to the growth inhibitory effects of fagaronine. We conclude that fagaronine is an inhibitor of both DNA topoisomerase I and II and propose that this might play a role in the cytotoxic activity.

With the aim of obtaining new inhibitors of topoisomerases, we have evaluated various heterocyclic quinone derivatives for their ability to induce topoisomerase I (Topo I)- or Topo II-associated DNA breaks, using P388 cell nuclear extract. Several compounds belonging to the indolo[3,2-c]quinoline-1,4-dione series have been shown to possess DNA-cleavage activity. Further analysis using purified Topo I and II preparations has indicated that the members of the series stimulate cleavable complex formation of both Topo I and II. 3-Methoxy-11H-pyrido[3',4':4,5]pyrrolo[3,2-c] quinoline-1,4-dione (AzalQD), one of the most active members of the series, stimulates cleavable complex formation and inhibits the catalytic activities of both eukaryotic Topo I and II, with, however, less potency than camptothecin and etoposide. Topo I cleavage site patterns for AzalQD and camptothecin were found to be nearly identical, with, however, some differences in cleavage site intensities. Use of filter binding assays also indicates that AzalQD is at least 10 times more potent against Topo I than against Topo II. Structure-activity relationships of indoloquinolinedione derivatives have been established and have shown that Topo I and II inhibitions are strongly linked, with a dose-selective preference towards Topo I. AzalQD does not display detectable DNA-unwinding properties. AzalQD induces a preferential cytotoxicity for the yeast strain JN2-134 bearing the human top1 gene under the control fo the GAL1 promoter, indicating that Topo I inhibition is responsible for the yeast cytotoxicity. These data indicate that AzalQD and its structural analogs represent a new distinct class of eukaryotic Topo I and II inhibitors.