Thiostrepton induces spindle abnormalities and enhances Taxol cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 cells

Thiostrepton (TST) is a known inhibitor of the transcription factor Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) and inducer of heat shock response (HSR) and autophagy. TST thus may be one potential candidate of anticancer drugs for combination chemotherapy.

Immunofluorescence staining of mitotic spindles and flow cytometry analysis revealed that TST induces mitotic spindle abnormalities, mitotic arrest, and apoptotic cell death in the MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cell line. Interestingly, overexpression or depletion of FoxM1 in MDA-MB-231 cells did not affect TST induction of spindle abnormalities; however, TST-induced spindle defects were enhanced by inhibition of HSP70 or autophagy. Moreover, TST exhibited low affinity for tubulin and only slightly inhibited in vitro tubulin polymerization, but it severely impeded tubulin polymerization and destabilized microtubules in arrested mitotic MDA-MB-231 cells. Additionally, TST significantly enhanced Taxol cytotoxicity. TST also caused cytotoxicity and spindle abnormalities in a Taxol-resistant cell line, MDA-MB-231-T4R.

These results suggest that, in addition to inhibiting FoxM1, TST may induce proteotoxicity and autophagy to disrupt cellular tubulin polymerization, and this mechanism might account for its antimitotic effects, enhancement of Taxol anticancer effects, and ability to overcome Taxol resistance in MDA-MB-231 cells. These data further imply that TST may be useful to improve the therapeutic efficacy of Taxol.