Inhibition of chromosome separation in fertilized starfish eggs by kalihinol F, a topoisomerase I inhibitor obtained from a marine sponge

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry Vol. 67; no. 11; pp. 2365 - 2372
• Main Authors: Ohta, E. (Hiroshima Univ. (Japan)), Ohta, S, Hongo, T, Hamaguchi, Y, Andoh, T, Shioda, M, Ikegami, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry 01.11.2003; Japan Society for Bioscience Biotechnology and Agrochemistry; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Acanthella; Animals; Asterina pectinifera; ASTEROIDEA; Biological and medical sciences; Chromosomes - ultrastructure; Diterpenes - isolation & purification; Diterpenes - pharmacology; DITERPENOIDS; EGGS; EMBRYO SPLITTING; Enzyme Inhibitors; FERTILIZATION; fertilized egg; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; INHIBITION; kalihinol F; Marine; MEIOSIS; meiosis II; Nitriles - isolation & purification; Nitriles - pharmacology; Porifera; starfish; Starfish - physiology; topoisomerase I; Topoisomerase I Inhibitors; Marine environment; fertilized egg; Egg; kalihinol F; Chromosome; Inhibitor; Meiosis; Inhibition; meiosis II; starfish; topoisomerase I
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1271/bbb.67.2365

Kalihinol F, a naturally occurring diterpene from a marine sponge, Acanthella sp., inhibited chromosome separation in fertilized starfish (Asterina pectimfera) eggs but allows the first cleavage to occur, thereby forming unseparated metaphase chromosomes which were elongated between the two daughter cells. The chromosomes were eventually torn off in the embryonic cells. Most of the cells gradually lost the chromosomes during the cell cycle progression. The embryonic development halted at the morula stage just before the onset of blastulation. The mitotic failure occurred when kalihinol F was applied to a fertilized egg during the second meiotic process, but not after the completion of the second meiotic division. Kalihinol F inhibited topoisomerase 1 activity in vitro, but had no effects on activities of DNA polylnerases a, v, and g, and of topoisomerase 2. These results suggest that the topoisomerase 1 plays an essential role in meiosis 2 in this species.