Demethylzeylasteral inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis through suppressing MCL1 in melanoma cells

Demethylzeylasteral is one of the extracts of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, which plays important roles in multiple biological processes such as inflammation inhibition, as well as immunosuppression. However, anti-cancer function and the underlying mechanisms of demethylzeylasteral in melanoma cells remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that demethylzeylasteral has an anti-tumor property in melanoma cells. Demethylzeylasteral not only inhibits cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest at S phase, but also induces cell apoptosis in melanoma cells. MCL1 is an anti-apoptotic protein in BCL2 family, and amplifies frequently in multiple human cancers. MCL1 is also known as a potential contributor for the resistance of BCL2 inhibitors, as well as various chemotherapeutic drugs. MCL1 is, therefore, regarded as a potential target for cancer therapy. Here, for the first time, we unveil that demethylzeylasteral suppresses the expression of MCL1. Interestingly, MCL1 interacts with S phase-related protein CDK2, and thereby inhibits it's ubiquitin-dependent degradation. Together, demethylzeylasteral is a promising anti-tumor compound in melanoma cells. Demethylzeylasteral is also a potential inhibitor of MCL1.