Inhibition of phospholipid signalling and proliferation of Swiss 3T3 cells by the wortmannin analogue demethoxyviridin.
Cross MJ., Hodgkin MN., Plumb JA., Brunton VG., Stewart A., MacAully G., Hill R., Kerr DJ., Workman P., Wakelam MJ.
Growth factors and certain oncogenes activate a range of phospholipid-mediated signal transduction pathways resulting in cell proliferation. Demethoxyviridin (DMV), a structural analogue of wortmannin and recently reported as a potent inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase, inhibited bombesin plus insulin-stimulated increase in cell number in Swiss 3T3 cells, a model of cell proliferation. The drug produced cytostatic effects at concentrations below 1 microM and cytotoxic effects at 10 microM. In intact Swiss 3T3 cells DMV inhibited insulin-stimulated PI 3- and 4-kinases and bombesin-stimulated phospholipases C, D and A2 in the nanomolar range. DMV also inhibited bombesin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of a range of proteins at nM concentrations. This study shows that DMV inhibited multiple stimulated signalling pathways which lead to increased Swiss 3T3 cell proliferation. A stable analogue of DMV may have chemotherapeutic potential.