Cardiac actin interactions with doxorubicin in vitro

Purified bovine cardiac G-actin was interacted with doxorubicin (Adriamycin, ADR), in absence of potassium or magnesium to study ADR's effects on actin polymerization. Actin with ADR (10(-6) M) was incubated with polylysine-coated polystyrene beads and filaments formed were visualized by negative staining electron microscopy (NSEM). ADR-induced actin polymerization was assessed biochemically by ultracentrifugation and analysis of protein content of the supernatant solution. Kinetic assays of turbidity of actin were performed which showed that ADR induced formation of stubby actin polymers which bound to the beads and differed ultrastructurally from the longer actin filaments induced by KCl + MgCl2. Actin content in the supernatant solution decreased after centrifugation (0.8 mg/ml in G-actin to 0.45 mg/ml in actin incubated with 10(-4) M ADR). ADR (10(-4) M) caused increased turbidity of actin of similar magnitude to that induced by actin + KCl + MgCl2. Data support the hypothesis that ADR induces polymerization of cardiac actin in vitro but this polymerization has characteristics which are different from actin polymerization induced by salts.