Inhibition of De Novo Pyrimidine Nucleotide Synthesis By the Novel DHODH Inhibitor PTC299 Induces Differentiation and/or Death of AML Cells

Background: Pyrimidine nucleotides are generated either by de novo synthesis or the salvage pathway in which pyrimidine nucleotides are obtained from the diet. Resting cells typically acquire adequate pyrimidine nucleotides from the salvage pathway. Rapidly proliferating cells, however, are dependent on the de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. PTC299 is an inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), a rate limiting enzyme for de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis that had previously been in clinical trials for treatment of solid tumors.

Results: Using ¹⁵N-labelled glutamine, we show that PTC299 reduces de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis in PTC299-sensitive AML cell lines resulting in a depletion of total pyrimidine nucleotides. In parallel to reduction in pyrimidine nucleotides, PTC 299 leads to accumulation of DHO, the substrate of DHODH and unexpectedly, an accumulation of N-carbamoyl aspartate the metabolite above DHO in the de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis pathway.

PTC299 was broadly active against leukemia and lymphoma lines, with 80% of the AML lines tested showing sensitivity. Treatment of AML cell lines with PTC299 induced differentiation as shown by increased CD14 and/or reduced proliferation. Using isogenic AML lines, we show that PTC299 reduces the proliferation of both p53 wildtype and p53 deficient leukemia calls with similar potency as measured by the concentration of PTC299 required to reduce cell number by 50% (CC₅₀). In cells expressing wildtype p53, PTC299 increases p53 activation. However, p53- wildtype cells undergo increased apoptosis whereas p53-deficience cells undergo necrosis.

PTC299 induced a G1/S cell cycle arrest, also independent of p53 status. PTC299 increased H2A.X (a marker of double stranded DNA breaks) in both p53 wildtype and p53 deficient cells. These data suggest that the depletion of nucleotides results in stalling at the replication fork, and subsequent DNA-breaks.

Conclusion: De novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis is critical for AML survival and proliferation. Depletion of nucleotides results in reduced proliferation, triggering either differentiation and/or cell death.