Transient Expression of Drosophila melanogaster Deoxynucleoside Kinase Gene Enhances Cytotoxicity of Nucleoside Analogs

The Drosophila melanogaster deoxynucleoside kinase gene was introduced into HeLa cells with cationic lipids to allow its transient expression, and cytotoxic effects of several nucleoside analogs in the transfected cells were examined. Of the analogs tested, cytotoxicities of 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC), 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR), and 1-(2-deoxy-2-methylene-β-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)cytosine (DMDC) were increased by the deoxynucleoside kinase gene. These results suggest that the combination of the transient expression of the Drosophila deoxynucleoside kinase gene and these nucleoside analogs is a candidate for the suicide gene therapy.

Keywords:

• Deoxynucleoside kinase
• Nonviral vector
• Nucleoside analog
• Suicide gene therapy

Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan.

This article is dedicated to Professor Eiko Ohtsuka on the occasion of her 70th birthday.

Notes

^a The ratio of IC₅₀ values in luciferase- to Dm-dNK-transfected HeLa cells.

^b Not applicable.