G2 cell cycle arrest, down-regulation of cyclin B, and induction of mitotic catastrophe by the flavoprotein inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium

Because proliferation of eukaryotic cells requires cell cycle–regulated chromatid separation by the mitotic spindle, it is subject to regulation by mitotic checkpoints. To determine the mechanism of the antiproliferative activity of the flavoprotein-specific inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), I have examined its effect on the cell cycle and mitosis. Similar to paclitaxel, exposure to DPI causes an accumulation of cells with a 4N DNA content. However, unlike the paclitaxel-mediated mitotic block, DPI-treated cells are arrested in the cell cycle prior to mitosis. Although DPI-treated cells can arrest with fully separated centrosomes at opposite sides of the nucleus, these centrosomes fail to assemble mitotic spindle microtubules and they do not accumulate the Thr288 phosphorylated Aurora-A kinase marker of centrosome maturation. In contrast with paclitaxel-arrested cells, DPI impairs cyclin B1 accumulation. Release from DPI permits an accumulation of cyclin B1 and progression of the cells into mitosis. Conversely, exposure of paclitaxel-arrested mitotic cells to DPI causes a precipitous drop in cyclin B and Thr288 phosphorylated Aurora-A levels and leads to mitotic catastrophe in a range of cancerous and noncancerous cells. Hence, the antiproliferative activity of DPI reflects a novel inhibitory mechanism of cell cycle progression that can reverse spindle checkpoint-mediated cell cycle arrest.