BCRP Activity Research Articles

Quantitative Investigation of the Role of Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (Bcrp/Abcg2) in Limiting Brain and Testis Penetration of Xenobiotic Compounds

The role of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) in limiting the brain and testis penetration of xenobiotic compounds in the blood-brain and -testis barriers was investigated using Bcrp(-/-) mice. Tissue/plasma concentration ratios in the brain (K(p,brain)) and testis (K(p,testis)) obtained under steady-state conditions were significantly increased in Bcrp(-/-) mice for PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine), N-hydroxyl PhIP, MeIQx (2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline), dantrolene, and prazosin. In addition, the K(p,brain) of triamterene and the K(p,testis) of 4'-hydroxyl PhIP were also significantly increased in Bcrp(-/-) mice. The effect of functional impairment of Bcrp on the brain uptake of PhIP, dantrolene, and daidzein in Bcrp(-/-) mice determined using in situ brain perfusion was weaker than that observed on the K(p) values. In vitro transcellular transport experiments using cell lines expressing mouse Bcrp or P-glycoprotein (Mdr1a/Abcb1a) showed that, among the tested Bcrp substrates, PhIP, MeIQx, prazosin, and triamterene are common substrates of Bcrp and P-glycoprotein. The K(p) values of common substrates exhibited a smaller increase both in the brain and testis of Bcrp(-/-) mice than expected from the in vitro Bcrp activities. The Bcrp-specific substrates were weak acids, whereas basic or neutral BCRP substrates were also P-glycoprotein substrates. These results suggest that BCRP limits the tissue penetration of xenobiotic compounds in the blood-brain and -testis barriers, but its in vivo importance is also modulated by P-glycoprotein activity.

The 44-kDa Pim-1 Kinase Phosphorylates BCRP/ABCG2 and Thereby Promotes Its Multimerization and Drug-resistant Activity in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

We previously showed that the 44-kDa serine/threonine kinase Pim-1 (Pim-1L) can protect prostate cancer cells from apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic drugs (Xie, Y., Xu, K., Dai, B., Guo, Z., Jiang, T., Chen, H., and Qiu, Y. (2006) Oncogene 25, 70-78). To further explore the mechanisms of Pim-1L-mediated resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs in prostate cancer cells, we employed a yeast two-hybrid screening to identify cellular proteins that were associated with Pim-1L, and we found the ABC transporter BCRP/ABCG2 as one of the potential interacting partners of Pim-1L. We also showed that the expression level of Pim-1L and BCRP was up-regulated in mitoxantrone and docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cell lines. Pim-1L was co-localized with BCRP on the plasma membrane and induced phosphorylation of BCRP at threonine 362. Knocking-down Pim-1L expression in the drug-resistant prostate cancer cells abolished multimer formation of endogenous BCRP and resensitized the resistant cells to chemotherapeutic drugs suggesting that BCRP phosphorylation induced by Pim-1L was essential for its functionality. This is further corroborated by our finding that the plasma membrane localization and drug-resistant activity of BCRP were compromised by T362A mutation. Our data suggest that Pim-1L may protect prostate cancer cells from apoptosis, at least in part, through regulation of transmembrane drug efflux pump. These findings may provide a potential therapeutic approach by disrupting Pim-1 signaling to reverse BCRP-mediated multidrug resistance.

551 POSTER Clinical significance of MDR1/ABCB1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy

The breast cancer resistance protein, BCRP/ABCG2, is a half-molecule ATP-binding cassette transporter that facilitates the efflux of various anticancer agents from the cell, including 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin, topotecan and mitoxantrone. The expression of BCRP can thus confer a multidrug resistance phenotype in cancer cells, and its transporter activity is involved in the in vivo efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, the elucidation of the substrate preferences and structural relationships of BCRP is essential to understanding its in vivo functions during chemotherapeutic treatments. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have also been found to be key factors in determining the efficacy of chemotherapeutics, and those therapeutics that inhibit BCRP activity, such as the SNP that results in a C421A mutant, may result in unexpected side effects of the BCRP- anticancer drugs interaction even at normal dosages. In order to modulate the BCRP activity during chemotherapy, various compounds have been tested as inhibitors of this protein. Estrogenic compounds including estrone, several tamoxifen derivatives in addition to phytoestrogens and flavonoids have been shown to reverse BCRP-mediated drug resistance. Intriguingly, recently developed molecular targeted cancer drugs, such as the tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib mesylate, gefitinib and others, can also interact with BCRP. Since both functional SNPs and inhibitory agents of BCRP modulate the in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of its substrate drugs, BCRP activity is an important consideration in the development of molecular targeted chemotherapeutics.

Localization of the Human Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2) in Lipid Rafts/Caveolae and Modulation of Its Activity by Cholesterol in Vitro

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) is an active efflux pump that belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family. It is located in various tissues involved in drug absorption, distribution, and elimination and plays an important role in multidrug resistance. For P-glycoprotein, another member of the ABC transporter family, it is well established that it is at least partly located in cholesterol and sphingolipid-enriched domains of the plasma membrane called "lipid rafts" and that the composition of the membrane lipids may modulate its efflux activity. This study addressed the compartmentalization of BCRP in the plasma membrane and the influence of membrane cholesterol on the efflux activity of BCRP. As a cell model, we used the canine kidney epithelial cell line MDCKII-BCRP transfected with the cDNA encoding human BCRP and the corresponding parental cell line MDCKII. Cholesterol depletion with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCD) provoked a 40% decrease in BCRP activity (p < 0.01) assessed with flow cytometry (pheophorbide A efflux assay). Cholesterol repletion with MbetaCD/cholesterol-inclusion complexes restored BCRP function, and cholesterol saturation of native cells did not further enhance BCRP activity. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicated a physical interaction between BCRP and caveolin-1, and Western blot analysis after density gradient ultracentrifugation demonstrated that BCRP is located in detergent-resistant membranes that also contain caveolin-1. In conclusion, our results demonstrate for the first time that BCRP is located in membrane rafts and that cholesterol has impact on its efflux activity.

Mitoxantrone Permeability in MDCKII Cells Is Influenced by Active Influx Transport

Mitoxantrone (MXR) is a prototypical substrate for the ABCG2 (bcrp1) efflux transporter and is often used as a positive control in bcrp-mediated transport studies. This study examined processes involved in the cellular accumulation and directional transport of MXR using an in vitro wild-type (WT) and bcrp1-transfected (bcrp1) MDCKII cell model. Compared to 37 degrees C, incubation at 4 degrees C increased MXR accumulation in bcrp1 cells and unexpectedly decreased MXR accumulation in WT MDCKII cells. [3H]-MXR accumulation was concentration dependent in both WT and bcrp1 cells, exhibiting the characteristics of saturable active influx. At tracer concentrations, there was no difference in MXR directional flux between WT and bcrp1 MDCKII cell monolayers, and the A-to-B (apical-to-basolateral) flux was greater than the B-to-A flux in both cell types. However at higher concentration (20 microM), [3H]-MXR directional flux from A to B decreased and B to A increased, revealing the expected efflux process. Therefore, the orientation of the MXR directional flux process is concentration dependent and only at higher concentrations could the difference between WT and bcrp1 MDCKII cells be distinguished. Taken together, these data show that there is a saturable influx transport system on the apical membrane MDCKII cells that is responsible for the active influx of MXR. This is the first report of an active influx transport system for MXR. The expression of the putative MXR influx transporter in selected cell types could lead to misleading results in drug transport assays that screen for bcrp activity. Moreover, the downregulation of the influx transport system could be a heretofore unrecognized mechanism of MXR resistance in tumor cells.

Regional Expression and Activity of Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (Bcrp/Abcg2) in Mouse Intestine: Overlapping Distribution with Sulfotransferases

Breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp/Abcg2) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette transporter family with the ability to transport a variety of sulfate conjugates. In the present study, the regional expression and activity of Bcrp and sulfotransferases (SULTs/Sults) were investigated in mouse intestine. Western blotting analysis revealed the highest expression of Bcrp in the ileum over the duodenum, jejunum, and colon. Functional analysis of Bcrp was performed in everted intestinal sacs using 4-methylumbelliferone (4MU). The mucosal secretion clearance of 4MU sulfate formed in the enterocytes was markedly reduced in the jejunum, ileum, and colon of Bcrp (-/-) mice in comparison with wild-type mice, whereas a slight and nonsignificant reduction was observed in the duodenum. The reduction in the mucosal secretion clearance was most marked in the ileum followed by the colon and jejunum. In addition, the mucosal secretion clearance of minoxidil sulfate, an active metabolite of minoxidil, was also significantly reduced in the intestine of Bcrp (-/-) mice. The sulfation activity of 4MU was higher in the colon than in the small intestine where glucuronidation activity was somewhat higher than the sulfation activity. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the expression of sulfotransferases, such as Sult1a1/2, Sult1b1, and Sult1d1, was also highest in the colon. These results suggest that Bcrp activity is higher in the mid to lower intestine and that the cooperation of Bcrp and SULT provides an important detoxification pathway, particularly in the colon.

Multidrug Transporter ABCG2/Breast Cancer Resistance Protein Secretes Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) into Milk

The multidrug transporter breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) is strongly induced in the mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation. We here demonstrate that BCRP is responsible for pumping riboflavin (vitamin B(2)) into milk, thus supplying the young with this important nutrient. In Bcrp1(-/-) mice, milk secretion of riboflavin was reduced >60-fold compared to that in wild-type mice. Yet, under laboratory conditions, Bcrp1(-/-) pups showed no riboflavin deficiency due to concomitant milk secretion of its cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide, which was not affected. Thus, two independent secretion mechanisms supply vitamin B(2) equivalents to milk. BCRP is the first active riboflavin efflux transporter identified in mammals and the first transporter shown to concentrate a vitamin into milk. BCRP activity elsewhere in the body protects against xenotoxins by reducing their absorption and mediating their excretion. Indeed, Bcrp1 activity increased excretion of riboflavin into the intestine and decreased its systemic availability in adult mice. Surprisingly, the paradoxical dual utilization of BCRP as a xenotoxin and a riboflavin pump is evolutionarily conserved among mammals as diverse as mice and humans. This study establishes the principle that an ABC transporter can transport a vitamin into milk and raises the possibility that other vitamins and nutrients are likewise secreted into milk by ABC transporters.

Expression of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) in human placenta throughout gestation and at term before and after labor

Breast cancer resistance protein, BCRP, is a multidrug resistance protein that is highly expressed in the human placenta. In cancer tissues, this protein actively extrudes a wide variety of chemically and structurally unrelated chemotherapeutic drugs and other compounds. Studies in mice have shown that in the absence of BCRP activity in the placenta, there is a 2-fold increase in the uptake in BCRP substrates into fetus. This suggests that in the placenta, BCRP extrudes compounds that would otherwise cross the syncytiotrophoblast cells into fetal circulation. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression and localization of BCRP in the human placenta throughout gestation. Tissues from 6-13, 16-19, 24-29, 32-35, and 38-41 weeks of gestation were used. Real time RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the mRNA levels of BCRP in the placenta do not change significantly as gestation progressed. However, Western blot analysis revealed that the protein levels increased towards the end of gestation. We demonstrated that BCRP is localized to the syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta and in some fetal blood vessels within the placenta. Tissues from the early stages of pregnancy (6-13 weeks) showed fewer BCRP positive blood vessels than term tissues (38-41 weeks).

Modulation of human BCRP (ABCG2) activity by anti-HIV drugs

The safety and effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is challenged by viral resistance to antiretrovirals and the frequent occurrence of drug interactions which may limit the access of these drugs to the target sites. In particular, drug distribution and elimination may be modified by active efflux transporters. While P-glycoprotein is well evaluated in this regard, the interaction of antiretrovirals with the ABC transporter BCRP (ABCG2) is far from being elucidated. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the influence of all important anti-HIV drugs on BCRP activity in vitro in one assay to allow unrestricted comparison of the results. BCRP inhibition was assessed by an increase in pheophorbide A accumulation in MDCKII-BCRP cells and compared with the corresponding parental cell line MDCKII lacking human BCRP. According to the IC(50) estimation, the rank order for BCRP inhibition was lopinavir > nelfinavir > delavirdine > efavirenz > saquinavir > atazanavir > amprenavir > abacavir. Whereas nevirapine and zidovudine exerted weak inhibition, the inhibitory potency for ritonavir and tipranavir could not be estimated due to their low solubility and all other tested compounds (indinavir, didanosine, emtricitabine, lamivudine, stavudine, tenofovir and zalcitabine) were devoid of an effect. Taken together, our study demonstrates significant inhibition of BCRP by many anti-HIV drugs. These results suggest that inhibition of BCRP might contribute to drug-drug interactions observed during HAART in vivo and possibly also the superior effectiveness of combination antiretroviral therapy.

BacMam recombinant baculovirus in transporter expression: A study of BCRP and OATP1B1

Human BCRP and OATP1B1 have recently been identified as important transporters in the absorption, distribution, and elimination of clinically significant drugs. In this report, we illustrate the use of modified baculoviruses, termed BacMam viruses for the expression of functional BCRP and OATP1B1 in mammalian cells. We show a variety of host cells efficiently transduced to express BCRP including HEK 293, LLC-PK, and U-2 OS, where protein levels on the cell-surface were modulated by titrating different amounts of viral inoculum. In addition, using the BODIPY-prazosin efflux assay and the BacMam reagent we illustrate inhibition of BCRP activity with GF120918 or Fumitremorgin C. Furthermore, we present data demonstrating simultaneous expression of BCRP and OATP1B1 in BacMam transduced mammalian cells by simply adding viral inoculum of each transporter. Thus these results indicate that BacMam mediated gene delivery provides a novel and efficient research tool for the investigation of single or multiple transporters in vitro.

EXPRESSION AND FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY OF BREAST CANCER RESISTANCE PROTEIN (BCRP, ABCG2) TRANSPORTER IN THE HUMAN CHORIOCARCINOMA CELL LINE BEWO

1. Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP, ABCG2) is a drug efflux transporter that is believed to affect the drug disposition of several drugs and xenobiotics. In the present study, we evaluated the localization and functional expression of BCRP in the human choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo, an in vitro model of the human trophoblast, and compared it with the expression of P-glycoprotein (MDR1, ABCB1) as the most widely studied placental transporter. In addition, the expression of BCRP at the mRNA level was compared with that of MDR1 in the human term placenta. 2. Western blotting analysis revealed high endogenous expression of BCRP protein in BeWo cells. Using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, we found that the BCRP transporter appears to be localized predominantly at the apical plasma membrane. Functional studies showed a significant effect of the BCRP inhibitors GF120918 (5 micromol/L) and Ko143 (1 micromol/L) on mitoxantrone accumulation and, thus, confirmed efflux activity of BCRP in BeWo cells. 3. Using absolute mRNA quantification with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, we found high expression of BCRP in BeWo cells, whereas no transcript of MDR1 (P-glycoprotein), the most extensively studied drug transporter, was detected. 4. In the human placenta, BCRP was localized predominantly in the syncytiotrophoblast layer; however, immunopositivity for the BXP-21 antibody was also observed in fetal vessels of the chorionic villi. The number of BCRP transcripts in the human term placenta was found to be more than 10-fold higher compared with the expression of MDR1. 5. In conclusion, we suggest that BeWo cells could serve as a suitable in vitro model to study trans-trophoblast transport of BCRP substrates and that placental BCRP can play an important role in preventing the accumulation of potentially toxic xenobiotics in the trophoblast cells.

MRP3, BCRP, and P-Glycoprotein Activities are Prognostic Factors in Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia

P-Glycoprotein (Pgp) is associated with poor outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We have investigated other ATP-binding cassette proteins such as BCRP, MRP1, MRP2, MRP3, and MRP5 for their potential implication in chemoresistance. Eighty five AML patient samples were analyzed in this study. First, MRP3 function was higher in patients which had a high level of leukocytes (P = 0.01), a M5 FAB subtype (P = 0.04), and an intermediate or poor cytogenesis (P = 0.05). BCRP activity was not correlated with clinical or biological variables, but high Pgp activity was correlated with the following variables: CD34 expression (P = 0.002), FAB subtype (P = 0.002), intermediate or poor cytogenesis (P = 0.02), and elderly patients (P = 0.03). Second, Pgp, MRP3, and BCRP activities were correlated with complete remission (P = 0.02, P = 0.04, and P = 0.04, respectively), disease-free survival (P = 0.02, P = 0.03, and P = 0.25, respectively), and overall survival (P = 0.04, P = 0.04, and P = 0.05, respectively) in multivariate analysis. The patient samples expressing one or none of these Pgp, MRP3, or BCRP functional proteins have a better prognosis than the patients expressing two or three of these functional proteins (complete remission, P = 0.02; disease-free survival, P = 0.01; overall survival, P < 0.001). BCRP and MRP3 may also be involved in chemoresistance in AML, especially MRP3 in patients with M5 FAB. Additional modulation of BCRP or MRP3 to Pgp modulation may be necessary in some patients in order to improve the treatment outcome.

The Mammary Gland “Side Population”: A Putative Stem/Progenitor Cell Marker?

Hematopoietic Stem Cells have been isolated by their ability to pump out Hoechst 33342 dye and form a distinct population definable by flow cytometry--the Side Population (SP). The membrane pump Bcrp has been identified as the molecular determinant of the SP phenotype. An SP population with Bcrp activity has been defined in a number of tissues, including mouse mammary and human breast epithelium, and it has been proposed that the SP phenotype is a universal stem cell marker. Studies of mouse and human breast SP suggest that the population is undifferentiated but capable of differentiating into epithelial structures of both luminal and myoepithelial lineages both in vitro and in vivo. However, evidence that the SP is enriched for stem cells is, at the moment, only correlative, and there are potentially confounding technical issues. We still await formal proof that the SP contains a stem cell population.

The breast cancer resistance protein protects against a major chlorophyll-derived dietary phototoxin and protoporphyria.

The breast cancer resistance protein (BCRPABCG2) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette family of drug transporters and confers resistance to various anticancer drugs. We show here that mice lacking Bcrp1Abcg2 become extremely sensitive to the dietary chlorophyll-breakdown product pheophorbide a, resulting in severe, sometimes lethal phototoxic lesions on light-exposed skin. Pheophorbide a occurs in various plant-derived foods and food supplements. Bcrp1 transports pheophorbide a and is highly efficient in limiting its uptake from ingested food. Bcrp1(-/-) mice also displayed a previously unknown type of protoporphyria. Erythrocyte levels of the heme precursor and phototoxin protoporphyrin IX, which is structurally related to pheophorbide a, were increased 10-fold. Transplantation with wild-type bone marrow cured the protoporphyria and reduced the phototoxin sensitivity of Bcrp1(-/-) mice. These results indicate that humans or animals with low or absent BCRP activity may be at increased risk for developing protoporphyria and diet-dependent phototoxicity and provide a striking illustration of the importance of drug transporters in protection from toxicity of normal food constituents.