Rhodacyanine dye MKT-077 inhibits in vitro telomerase assay but has no detectable effects on telomerase activity in vivo.

MKT-077, a cationic rhodacyanine dye analogue, causes selective toxicity to cancer cells. Its cellular targets elucidated thus far include oncogenic Ras, F-actin, mortalin (hmot-2)/mthsp70, and telomerase. Here we report that MKT-077 causes growth arrest of cancer cells in culture independent of their Ras, p53, or telomerase status. Telomerase activity is inhibited in vitro by MKT-077 in the telomerase assay used. However, the in vivo toxicity seen in telomerase-positive cancer cells was not accompanied by inhibition of telomerase activity or telomere shortening. Furthermore, cells with an alternative mechanism for lengthening of telomeres were also sensitive to MKT-077 and showed enhanced formation of alternative mechanism for lengthening of telomeres-associated PML bodies in their nuclei. The data suggested that inhibition of telomerase activity is unlikely to be a prime cause of MKT-077-induced toxicity in cancer cells.