Enhancement of saporin cytotoxicity by Gypsophila saponins--more than stimulation of endocytosis.

Saporin is a type I ribosome-inactivating protein with N-glycosidase activity. It removes adenine residues from the 28S ribosomal RNA resulting in inhibition of protein synthesis. Recently we have shown that saporin exerts no cytotoxicity on seven human cell lines. However, the combination of saporin with a special mixture of Gypsophila saponins (Soapwort saponins) from Gypsophila paniculata L. (baby's breath) rendered saporin to a potent cytotoxin comparable to viscumin, a highly toxic type II ribosome-inactivating protein. In this study we investigated whether the enhancement of the saporin-cytotoxicity by Gypsophila saponins is mediated by a saponin-triggered modulation of endocytosis, exocytosis or impaired degradation processes of his-tagged saporin ((his)saporin) in ECV-304 cells. For this purpose (his)saporin was labelled with tritium and cytotoxicity of the toxin alone and in combination with Gypsophila saponins was scrutinized. The transport and degradation processes of (his)saporin were not different in Gypsophila saponin-treated and control cells. However, after ultracentrifugation of a post-nuclear supernatant the amount of cytosolic (his)saporin was significantly higher in saponin-treated cells than in cells, which were only incubated with (his)saporin. This indicates a saponin mediated endosomal escape of saporin.