Hoechst 33342-induced apoptosis is associated with decreased immunoreactive topoisomerase I and topoisomerase I-DNA complex formation.

Hoechst 33342, but not Hoechst 33258, induces apoptosis and inhibits topoisomerase 1 activity in vivo. Topoisomerase I relaxes superhelical DNA through a single strand breakage/rejoining reaction in which the active site tyrosine links covalently to a 3' phosphate at the break site, forming a transient intermediate called a cleavable complex. The fate of cellular topoisomerase 1 in Hoechst 33342-induced apoptosis is unknown. We analyzed the binding capacity of topoisomerase 1 to 32P-labeled plasmid pCI DNA, the immunoreactive topoisomerase 1 concentration and topoisomerase 1 activity in BC3H-1 myocytes and HL-60 cells treated with Hoechst 33342 and Hoechst 33258 by using covalent transfer of 32P radioactivity from plasmid DNA to topoisomerase 1, Western blotting and topoisomerase 1-mediated plasmid relaxation assay, respectively. Hoechst 33342, but not Hoechst 33258, induced topoisomerase 1 dysfunction in both BC3H-1 myocytes and HL-60 cells measured by (1) a decrease in the topoisomerase 1 to DNA binding capacity or cleavable complex formation; (2) a decrease in intracellular concentration of immunoreactive topoisomerase 1; and (3) an inhibition of nuclear endogenous topoisomerase 1 activity. These results suggest that destruction of immunoreactive topoisomerase 1 and topoisomerase 1-DNA complexes or cleavable complexes results in inhibition of topoisomerase 1 activity, a key step in the Hoechst 33342-induced apoptotic process.