NUCLEOLIN AND NUCLEOPHOSMIN AS EXPECTED TARGETS FOR CATIONIC PEPTIDES, INDUCING TUMOR CELL APOPTOSISN

Multifunctional proteins nucleolin (NCL, C23) and nucleophosmin (NPM, B23) are the most abundant nucleolar phosphoproteins with chaperone activities. Nucleolin is over-expressed also on tumor cell surface. The proteins regulate the most of important cell functions, they are considered now as the cell proliferation markers and potential targets for cancer treatment Objective is a screening for some cationic peptides as an expected ligands for NCL/NPM and novel agents with selective cytotoxicity in human cutaneous melanoma cell lines. Three original cell lines mel IS, mel H and mel Ki obtained from the lymph node metastasis of the patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma were used as a models. To evaluate binding between NCL, NPM and peptides under study molecular docking was used. The data obtained allow to characterize tested cationic peptides as a ligands for NCL and NPM triggered subsequent tumor cell apoptosis.