Natural product derivative Bis(4-fluorobenzyl)trisulfide inhibits tumor growth by modification of beta-tubulin at Cys 12 and suppression of microtubule dynamics

Mol Cancer Ther. 2009 Dec;8(12):3318-30. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-09-0548.

Abstract

Bis(4-fluorobenzyl)trisulfide (BFBTS) is a synthetic molecule derived from a bioactive natural product, dibenzyltrisulfide, found in a subtropical shrub, Petiveria allieacea. BFBTS has potent anticancer activities to a broad spectrum of tumor cell lines with IC50 values from high nanomolar to low micromolar and showed equal anticancer potency between tumor cell lines overexpressing multidrug-resistant gene, MDR1 (MCF7/adr line and KBv200 line), and their parental MCF7 line and KB lines. BFBTS inhibited microtubule polymerization dynamics in MCF7 cells, at a low nanomolar concentration of 54 nmol/L, while disrupting microtubule filaments in cells at low micromolar concentration of 1 micromol/L. Tumor cells treated with BFBTS were arrested at G2-M phase, conceivably resulting from BFBTS-mediated antimicrotubule activities. Mass spectrometry studies revealed that BFBTS bound and modified beta-tubulin at residue Cys12, forming beta-tubulin-SS-fluorobenzyl. The binding site differs from known antimicrotubule agents, suggesting that BFBTS functions as a novel antimicrotubule agent. BFBTS at a dose of 25 mg/kg inhibited tumor growth with relative tumor growth rates of 19.91%, 18.5%, and 23.42% in A549 lung cancer, Bcap-37 breast cancer, and SKOV3 ovarian cancer xenografts, respectively. Notably, BFBTS was more potent against MDR1-overexpressing MCF7/adr breast cancer xenografts with a relative tumor growth rate of 12.3% than paclitaxel with a rate of 43.0%. BFBTS displays a novel antimicrotubule agent with potentials for cancer therapeutics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cysteine / chemistry
  • Cysteine / metabolism
  • Disulfides / chemistry
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Fluorobenzenes / chemistry
  • Fluorobenzenes / pharmacology*
  • G2 Phase / drug effects
  • HT29 Cells
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Microtubules / drug effects*
  • Microtubules / metabolism
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Sulfides / chemistry
  • Sulfides / pharmacology*
  • Tubulin / chemistry
  • Tubulin / metabolism*
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1
  • Disulfides
  • Fluorobenzenes
  • Sulfides
  • Tubulin
  • fluorapacin
  • Cysteine