Zinc protoporphyrin binding to telomerase complexes and inhibition of telomerase activity.

ABSTRACT: Zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a naturally occurring metalloprotoporphyrin (MPP), is currently under development as a chemotherapeutic agent although its mechanism is unclear. When tested against other MPPs, ZnPP was the most effective DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation inhibitor while promoting apoptosis in telomerase positive but not telomerase negative cells. Concurrently, ZnPP down-regulated telomerase expression and was the best overall inhibitor of telomerase activity in intact cells and cellular extracts with IC₅₀ and EC₅₀  values of ca 2.5 and 6 µM, respectively. The natural fluorescence properties of ZnPP enabled direct imaging in cellular fractions using non-denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis, western blots, and confocal fluorescence microscopy. ZnPP

SUBMITTER: Zhu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8573827 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature