The natural tumorcide Manumycin-A targets protein phosphatase 1α and reduces hydrogen peroxide to induce lymphoma apoptosis

Numerous compounds for treating human disease have been discovered in nature. Manumycin-A (Man-A) is a natural, well-tolerated microbial metabolite and a potent experimental tumoricide. We recently showed that Man-A stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) which were upstream of serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) dephosphorylation and caspase-dependent cleavage of MEK and Akt in lymphoma apoptosis. Conversely, activation-specific, Ser/Thr phosphorylation of MEK and Akt proteins was stable in Man-A-resistant tumors suggesting that stimulation of Ser/Thr PPase activity might be required for Man-A tumoricidal activity. Pre-treatment with Calyculin-A, an equipotent inhibitor of PP1 and PP2A, blocked all downstream effects of Man-A whereas, the PP2A-selective inhibitor, Okadaic acid did not, suggesting that PP1 and not PP2A played a role in Man-A action. Phosphorylation of PP1α on Thr320 inhibits its activity. Hence, we posited that if PP1α was important for Man-A action, then Man-A treatment should promote dephosphorylation of PP1α on Thr320. Indeed, T320 was only dephosphorylated in the tumors that underwent apoptosis. Lastly, stable over-expression of a constitutively active PP1α mimetic (PP1αT320A mutant), elevated basal ROS levels and enhanced Man-A-stimulated apoptosis. Taken together, we conclude that PP1α is an important proximal effector of Man-A mediated lymphoma apoptosis and that the mechanisms of Man-A action warrant further investigation.