Activation of p53 with ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone, marine sponge metabolites, induces apoptosis and autophagy in colon cancer cells.

ABSTRACT: The tumor suppressor, p53, plays an essential role in the cellular response to stress through regulating the expression of genes involved in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy. Here, we used a cell-based reporter system for the detection of p53 response transcription to identify the marine sponge metabolites, ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone, as activators of the p53 pathway. We demonstrated that ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone efficiently stabilize the p53 protein through promotion of p53 phosphorylation at Ser15 in both HCT116 and RKO colon cancer cells. Moreover, both compounds upregulate the expression of p21WAF1/CIP1, a p53-dependent gene, and suppress proliferation of colon cancer cells. In addition, ilimaquinone and ethylsmenoquinone induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and i

SUBMITTER: Lee HY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4306951 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature