Daunomycin inhibits insulin-like growth factor I-dependent protein tyrosine phosphorylation

The effect of the antitumor antibiotic daunomycin (DN) was studied on insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)-dependent protein tyrosine phosphorylation. DN was found to inhibit IGF-I-dependent phosphorylation of the artificial substrate poly(Glu:Tyr)4:1 by intrinsic IGF-I receptor kinase either from mouse cerebellum or from rat spinal cord. IGF-I-dependent autophosphorylation of the IGF-I receptor was also inhibited as a function of DN concentration (10-100 microM). However, DN at 200 microM concentration had minimal effect on protein kinase C dependent phosphorylation. The IGF-I-dependent protein tyrosine phosphorylation of endogenous proteins of the rat spinal cord was also inhibited by 50 microM DN. The altered IGF-I-dependent protein tyrosine phosphorylation by DN may partially explain its mechanism of action as an antitumor agent. These observations may also explain the neurotoxic effects of DN.