Tubulin structure-based drug design for the development of novel 4β-sulfur-substituted podophyllum tubulin inhibitors with anti-tumor activity.

ABSTRACT: The well-characterized anti-tubulin agent, podophyllotoxin (PTOX), with the 4'-position methoxyl group, targets the colchicines domain located between α- and β-tubulin. Two guanosine triphosphate (GTP) analogs of the tubulin-binding region were synthesized from PTOX, where a hydroxyl group was substituted with a carbon-sulfur bond. These compounds, 4-MP-PTOX and 4-TG-PTOX, reduce the dosage and greatly improve the therapeutic effect for microtubule damage in cancer cells. Here we characterize the anti-tubulin properties of these compounds. We found the stronger inhibition of tubulin polymerization (the concentration of 50% growth inhibition, GI50<2 μM) for compounds 4-TG-PTOX and 4-MP-PTOX, which were better than that of PTOX or colchicine. The cytotoxicity of two designed compounds on tum

SUBMITTER: Zhao W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4426677 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature