A Small Molecule Screen Exposes mTOR Signaling Pathway Involvement in Radiation-Induced Apoptosis

作者:Sharlow Elizabeth R; Leimgruber Stephanie; Lira Ana; McConnell Michael J; Norambuena Andres; Bloom George S; Epperly Michael W; Greenberger Joel S; Lazo John S
来源:ACS Chemical Biology, 2016, 11(5): 1428-1437.
DOI:10.1021/acschembio.5b00909

摘要

Individuals are at risk of exposure to acute ionizing radiation (IR) from a nuclear accident or terrorism, but we lack effective therapies to mitigate the lethal IR effects. In the current study, we exploited an optimized, cell-based, high throughput screening assay to interrogate a small molecule library comprising 3437 known pharmacologically active compounds for mitigation against IR-induced apoptosis. Thirty-three library compounds significantly reduced apoptosis when administered 1 h after 4 Gy IR. Two- or three-dimensional computational structural analyses of the compounds indicated only one or two chemical clusters with most of the compounds being unique structures. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitor, rapamycin, was the most potent compound, and it mitigated apoptosis by 50% at 200 +/- 50 pM. Other mTOR inhibitors, namely everolimus, AZD8055, and torin 1, also suppressed apoptosis, providing additional pharmacological evidence for mTOR pathway involvement in regulating cell death after IR Everolimus and torin 1 treatment after IR decreased the S phase population and enforced both G(1) and G(2) phase arrest. This prorogation of cell cycle progression was accompanied by decreased IR-induced DNA damage measured by gamma H2AX phosphorylation at Ser139. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of the respective mTORC1 and mTORC2 subunits, Raptor or Rictor, also mitigated IR-induced apoptosis. Collectively, this study suggests a central role for the mTOR signaling in the cytotoxic response to IR and offers a useful platform to probe for additional agents.

  • 出版日期2016-5