Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a series of fluoroquinoanthroxazines with contrasting dual mechanisms of action against topoisomerase II and G-quadruplexes

Mu Yong Kim, Wenhu Duan, Mary Gleason-Guzman, Laurence H. Hurley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

66 Scopus citations

Abstract

Topoisomerase inhibitors are important and clinically effective drugs, while G-quadruplex-interactive compounds that disrupt telomere maintenance mechanisms have yet to be proven useful in the clinic. If G-quadruplex-interactive compounds are to be clinically useful, it will most likely be in combination with more established cytotoxic agents. We have previously reported on a family of topoisomerase II inhibitors that also interact with G-quadruplexes. On the basis of previously established structure-activity relationships (SARs) for compounds that are able to inhibit topoisomerase II or interact with G-quadruplex to varying degrees, we have now designed and synthesized four new fluoroquinoanthroxazines (FQAs) that have different profiles of mixed topoisomerase II poisoning effects and G-quadruplex interactions. The biological profiles of the four new compounds were determined with respect to G-quadruplex interaction (polymerase stop and photocleavage assays) and topoisomerase II interaction (DNA cleavage and kDNA decatenation assays), alongside cytotoxicity tests with matched pairs of topoisomerase II-resistant and topoisomerase II-sensitive cells and with telomerase (+) and ALT (+) cell lines (ALT = alternative lengthening of telomeres). From this study, we have identified two FQAs with sharply contrasting profiles of potent G-quadruplex interaction with a weak topoisomerase II poisoning effect, and vice versa, for further evaluation to determine the optimum combination of these activities in subsequent in vivo studies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)571-583
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Medicinal Chemistry
Volume46
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 13 2003

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Medicine
  • Drug Discovery

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