Abstract
Drug resistance is one of the most significant impediments to successful chemotherapy of cancer. Multidrug-resistance (MDR) is characterized by decreased cellular sensitivity to anticancer agents due to the overexpression of P-glycoprotein. By employing adriamycin-resistance CL02 cancer cells, we undertook the screening for agents which were effective to multidrug-resistant cancer cells. As a result, a myxobacterial strain JW117 was selected for study since the solvent extract of cell mass of the strain was found to exhibit significant activity against the CL02 cancer cells. Cytotoxicity-guided chromatographic fractionation led to the isolation of phenalamides $A_2$ and $A_3$. The producing organism was identified as Myxococcus stipitatus by taxonomic comparison with type strains of Myxococcus sp. as well as its morphological and physiological characteristics. Phenalamides$ A_1$,$ A_2$ and $A_3$ were as active against drug-resistant cancer cells CL02 and CP70 as against the corresponding sensitive cells with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 0.23~0.57 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml.
암세포가 특정 항암제에 의해 내성을 획득하면 구조가 상이한 타 항암제에도 교차내성을 나타내는 이른바 암세포의 다약제 내성(MDR)이 암 화학요법에 있어서 가장 심각한 문제가 되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 다약제 내성 암세포주인 CL02 세포를 이용하여 점액세균의 대사산물을 대상으로 다약재 내성 암세포에 유효한 항암물질을 탐색하는 과정에서, Myxococcus stipitatus로 동정된 JW117 균주의 대사산물에서 우수한 활성을 발견하고 그 활성본체로서 polyene계 화합물인 phenalamides $A_1$, $A_2$, $A_3$를 분리하였다. Phenalamides $A_1$, $A_2$, $A_3$는 인체기원의 암세포에 대해 모두 강한 세포독성($IC_{50}$/ : 0.23~0.57 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml)을 나타낼 뿐 아니라 다약제내성 세포주인 CL02와 cisplatin내성 세포주인 CP70에 대해서도 감수성 세포주와 동일한 활성을 나타내어 다약제 내성을 극복하는 우수한 활성 물질임을 확인하였다.
