The mechanism of L-canavanine cytotoxicity: arginyl tRNA synthetase as a novel target for anticancer drug discovery.

Abstract

There is a clear need for agents with novel mechanisms of action to provide new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Owing to its structural similarity to L-arginine, L-canavanine, the beta-oxa-analog of L-arginine, is a substrate for arginyl tRNA synthetase and is incorporated into nascent proteins in place of L-arginine. Although L-arginine and L-canavanine are structurally similar, the oxyguanidino group of L-canavanine is significantly less basic than the guanidino group of L-arginine. Consequently, L-canavanyl proteins lack the capacity to form crucial ionic interactions, resulting in altered protein structure and function, which leads to cellular death. Since L-canavanine is selectively sequestered by the pancreas, it may be especially useful as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This novel mechanism of cytotoxicity forms the basis for the anticancer activity of L-canavanine and thus, arginyl tRNA synthetase may represent a novel target for the development of such therapeutic agents.

• Authors: Aimee K Bence, Peter A Crooks
• Journal: Journal of enzyme inhibition and medicinal chemistry (J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem) Vol. 18 Issue 5 Pg. 383-94 (Oct 2003) ISSN: 1475-6366 [Print] England
• PMID: 14692504 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Canavanine
• Arginine
• Arginine-tRNA Ligase

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents (chemistry, metabolism, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Arginine (analogs & derivatives, metabolism)
• Arginine-tRNA Ligase (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Canavanine (chemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic use, toxicity)
• Humans
• Pancreatic Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Protein Conformation (drug effects)