Inhibition of DNA-dependent Protein Kinase Catalytic Subunit by Small Molecule Inhibitor NU7026 Sensitizes Human Leukemic K562 Cells to Benzene Metabolite-induced Apoptosis

Benzene is an established leukotoxin and leukemogen in humans. We have previously re- ported that exposure of workers to benzene and to benzene metabolite hydroquinone in cultured cells induced DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit （DNA-PKcs） to mediate the cellular response to DNA double strand break （DSB） caused by DNA-damaging metabolites. In this study, we used a new, small molecule, a selective inhibitor of DNA-PKcs, 2-（morpholin-4-yl）-benzo[h]chomen-4-one （NU7026）, as a probe to analyze the molecular events and pathways in hydroquinone-induced DNA DSB repair and apoptosis. Inhibition of DNA-PKcs by NU7026 markedly potentiated the apoptotic and growth inhibitory effects of hydroquinone in proerythroid leukemic K562 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with NU7026 did not alter the production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress by hydroquinone but repressed the protein level of DNA-PKcs and blocked the induction of the kinase mRNA and protein expression by hydroquinone. Moreover, hydroquinone increased the phos- phorylation of Akt to activate Akt, whereas co-treatment with NU7026 prevented the activation of Akt by hydroquinone. Lastly, hydroquinone and NU7026 exhibited synergistic effects on promoting apop- tosis by increasing the protein levels of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and caspase-3 but decreasing the protein expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Taken together, the findings reveal a central role of DNA-PKcs in hydroquinone-induced hematotoxicity in which it coordinates DNA DSB repair, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis to regulate the response to hydroquinone-induced DNA damage.