Induction of accelerated senescence by the microtubule-stabilizing agent peloruside A

Chemotherapeutic agents can induce accelerated senescence in tumor cells, an irreversible state of cell cycle arrest. Paclitaxel, a microtubule-stabilizing agent used to treat solid tumors of the breast, ovary, and lung and discodermolide, another stabilizing agent from a marine sponge, induce senescence in cultured cancer cells. The aim of this study was to determine if the microtubule-stabilizing agent peloruside A, a polyketide natural product from a marine sponge, can induce accelerated senescence in a breast cancer cell line MCF7. Doxorubicin, a DNA-damaging agent, paclitaxel, and discodermolide were used as positive controls. Senescence-associated-β-galactosidase activity was increased by peloruside A, similar to paclitaxel, discodermolde, and doxorubicin, with a potency heirarchy of doxorubicin > paclitaxel > discodermolide > peloruside, based on IC₂₅ concentrations that inhibit proliferation. Clonogenic survival was significantly decreased by peloruside A, similar to doxorubicin and the two other microtubule-stabilizing agents. The tumor suppressor protein p53 increased after treatment, whereas pRb decreased in response to all four compounds. It was concluded that in addition to apoptosis, peloruside A causes accelerated senescence in a subpopulation of MCF7 cells that contributes to its potential anticancer activity in a breast cancer cell line.