Naturally occurring small-molecule inhibitors of hedgehog/GLI-mediated transcription

Chembiochem. 2008 May 5;9(7):1082-92. doi: 10.1002/cbic.200700511.

Abstract

The aberrant hedgehog (Hh)/GLI signaling pathway causes the formation and progression of a variety of tumors. To search for Hh/GLI inhibitors, we screened for naturally occurring inhibitors of the transcriptional activator GLI1 by using a cell-based assay. We identified zerumbone (1), zerumbone epoxide (2), staurosporinone (9), 6-hydroxystaurosporinone (10), arcyriaflavin C (11) and 5,6-dihydroxyarcyriaflavin A (12) as inhibitors of GLI-mediated transcription. In addition, we isolated physalins F (17) and B (18) from Physalis minima, which are also potent inhibitors. These compounds also inhibited GLI2-mediated transactivation. Semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis further revealed that 1, 9, 17, and 18 decreased Hh-related component expressions. We also show that inhibitors of GLI-mediated transactivation reduce the level of the antiapoptosis Bcl2 expression. Finally, these identified compounds were cytotoxic to PANC1 pancreatic cancer cells, which express Hh/GLI components. These results strongly suggest that the cytotoxicity of the compounds to PANC1 cells correlates with their inhibition of GLI-mediated transcription.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Products / chemistry*
  • Biological Products / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Hedgehog Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Oncogene Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology*
  • Trans-Activators / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic / drug effects*
  • Transcriptional Activation / drug effects
  • Zinc Finger Protein GLI1

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Oncogene Proteins
  • Plant Extracts
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Trans-Activators
  • Zinc Finger Protein GLI1