Pleiotropic effects of spongean alkaloids on mechanisms of cell death, cell cycle progression and DNA damage response (DDR) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells

• Ap efficiently induces apoptotic cell death in AML whereas Aa does not.
• Ap inhibits DNA synthesis.
• Both Ap and Aa do stimulate mechanisms of the DDR.
• Activation of the DDR by Aa and Ap is independent of DNA damage.
• Aa and Ap modulate daunorubicin-induced stress responses.

We investigated cytotoxic mechanisms evoked by the spongean alkaloids aaptamine (Aa) and aeroplysinin-1 (Ap), applied alone and in combination with daunorubicin, employing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Aa and Ap reduced the viability of AML cells in a dose dependent manner with IC50 of 10–20 µM. Ap triggered apoptotic cell death more efficiently than Aa. Both alkaloids increased the protein level of S139-phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX), which however was independent of the induction of DNA damage. Expression of the senescence markers p21 and p16 was increased, while the phosphorylation level of p-Chk-2 was reduced following Aa treatment. As a function of dose, Aa and Ap protected or sensitized AML cells against daunorubicin. Protection by Aa was paralleled by reduced formation of ROS and lower level of DNA damage. Both Aa and Ap attenuated daunorubicin-stimulated activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) as reflected on the levels of γH2AX, p-Kap-1 and p-Chk-1. Specifically Ap restored the decrease in S10 phosphorylation of histone H3 resulting from daunorubicin treatment. The cytoprotective effects of Aa and Ap were independent of daunorubicin import/export. Both Aa and Ap abrogated daunorubicin-induced accumulation of cells in S-phase. Inhibition of DNA synthesis was specific for Ap. The data show that Aa and Ap have both congruent and agent-specific pleiotropic effects that are preferential for anticancer drugs. Since Ap showed a broader spectrum of anticancer activities, this compound is suggested as novel lead compound for forthcoming in vivo studies elucidating the usefulness of spongean alkaloids in AML therapy.