C118P exerted potent anti-tumor effects against melanoma with induction of G2/M arrest via inhibiting the expression of BUB1B

Background: The incidence of melanoma rapidly increased in the past decades, and the clinical treatment of melanoma met huge challenges because of tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance. C118P, a novel tubulin polymerization inhibitor, exhibited strong anticancer effects in many tumors. However, there was no data regarding the potential effects of C118P in melanoma cells. Objective: To investigate of the efficacy and potential target of C118P in melanoma cells.Methods: Human melanoma cells were treated with C118P, followed by assessments of proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution. Subsequently, RNA sequencing was performed to further identify the drug targets of C118P in melanoma cells. GO analysis and protein-protein interaction networks analysis were used to screen the potential targets, and verified by a series of assays. Finally, the anti-growth activity of C118P was evaluated in A375-xenografted nude mice, and the expression of BUB1B (BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase B), Ki67 and Tunel were determined.Results: We found that C118P concentration-dependently inhibited proliferation of melanoma cells. Moreover, C118P simultaneously triggered dramatic G2/M arrest and apoptosis via independent mechan-isms in melanoma cells in vitro. C118P exerted anti-melanoma effects by inducing potent G2/M arrest, which was mechanistically related to downregulation of the expression of BUB1B. Importantly, C118P in-hibited the tumor growth in A375-xenografted nude, and increased the staining of Ki-67 and Tunel and suppressed the expression of BUB1B in melanoma tissues, which was consistent with in vitro study.Conclusion: C118P might provide a novel strategy for the clinical treatment of melanoma by inhibition of BUB1B.(c) 2022 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

C118P, a novel tubulin polymerization inhibitor, has shown strong anticancer effects in melanoma cells by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Mechanistically, C118P induces G2/M arrest through downregulation of BUB1B expression, providing a potential strategy for the clinical treatment of melanoma.