Antitumour imidazotetrazines and gene expression.

The effect of 3-alkyl substituted imidazotetrazinones on methylation of DNA has been studied in drug sensitive and resistant cell lines. The 3-methyl analogue (Temozolomide) has been shown to cause a decrease in the level of 5-methylcytosine in newly synthesized DNA in both cell lines, although the effect occurred at lower drug concentrations in the drug sensitive cell line. In order to investigate the mechanism of hypomethylation of DNA, calf thymus DNA was alkylated in vitro by both Temozolomide and the 3-ethyl analogue, CCRG 82019, and the alkylated DNA was shown to inhibit the transfer of methyl groups from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to M. lysodeikticus DNA by purified eukaryotic DNA methylase. Neither free drug alone or unmodified DNA affected the methylase reaction. Calf thymus DNA modified with CCRG 82019 was more effective as a methylase inhibitor than DNA modified with Temozolomide, which was a reverse of the order of potencies of the free drugs against tumour cells in culture. CCRG 82019 modified DNA also formed a more stable complex with nuclear proteins. Alterations in the level of 5-methylcytosine in DNA may be important in the alteration of gene expression by these agents.