Mycoplasma infection of cancer cells enhances anti-tumor effect of oxidized methylcytidines.

Abstract

Oxidized methylcytidines 5-hydroxymethyl-2'deoxycytidine (5hmdC) and 5-formy-2'deoxycytidine (5fdC) are deaminated by cytidine deaminase (CDA) into genome-toxic variants of uridine, triggering DNA damage and cell death. These compounds are promising chemotherapeutic agents for cancer cells that are resistant to pyrimidine derivative drugs, such as decitabine and cytarabine, which are inactivated by CDA. In our study, we found that cancer cells infected with mycoplasma exhibited a markedly increased sensitivity to 5hmdC and 5fdC, which was independent of CDA expression of cancer cells. In vitro biochemical assay showed that the homologous CDA protein from mycoplasma was capable of deaminating 5hmdC and 5fdC into their uridine form. Moreover, mycoplasma infection increased the sensitivity of cancer cells to 5hmdC and 5fdC, whereas administration of Tetrahydrouridine (THU) attenuated this effect, suggesting that mycoplasma CDA confers a similar effect as human CDA. As mycoplasma infection occurs in many primary tumors, our findings suggest that intratumoral microbes could enhance the tumor-killing effect and expand the utility of oxidized methylcytidines in cancer treatment.

• Authors: Guo-Zheng Pang, Ya-Hui Zhao, Yuan-Xian Wang, Shao-Qin Rong, Hai Gao, Dan Zhou
• Journal: Biochemical and biophysical research communications (Biochem Biophys Res Commun) Vol. 672 Pg. 193-200 (09 10 2023) ISSN: 1090-2104 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 37356286 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Uridine
• Tetrahydrouridine
• Cytidine Deaminase
• Deoxycytidine

Topics

• Humans
• Neoplasms
• Uridine
• Tetrahydrouridine (pharmacology)
• Cytidine Deaminase (genetics)
• Deoxycytidine
• Mycoplasma Infections