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Article

Unveiling the Mechanism of Action of Palmitic Acid, a Human Topoisomerase 1B Inhibitor from the Antarctic Sponge Artemisina plumosa

by
Alessio Ottaviani
1,
Davide Pietrafesa
2,
Bini Chhetri Soren
2,
Jagadish Babu Dasari
2,
Stine S. H. Olsen
3,
Beatrice Messina
2,
Francesco Demofonti
2,
Giulia Chicarella
2,
Keli Agama
4,
Yves Pommier
4,
Blasco Morozzo della Rocca
2,
Federico Iacovelli
2,
Alice Romeo
2,
Mattia Falconi
2,
Bill J. Baker
3 and
Paola Fiorani
2,5,*
1
Department of Onco-Hematology, Gene and Cell Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital-IRCCS, Via Ferdinando Baldelli 38, 00146 Rome, Italy
2
Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
3
Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, USF Sweetgum Ln 12111, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
4
Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Convent Drive 37, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
5
Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, CNR, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(5), 2018; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052018
Submission received: 24 January 2025 / Revised: 14 February 2025 / Accepted: 22 February 2025 / Published: 26 February 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovering Novel Bioactive Compounds Against Cancers)
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Abstract

Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for novel and more effective treatments. Natural products, with their structural diversity, represent a valuable source for the discovery of anticancer compounds. In this study, we screened 750 Antarctic extracts to identify potential inhibitors of human topoisomerase 1 (hTOP1), a key enzyme in DNA replication and repair, and a target of cancer therapies. Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the identification of palmitic acid (PA) as the active compound from the Antarctic sponge Artemisina plumosa, selectively inhibiting hTOP1. Our results demonstrate that PA irreversibly blocks hTOP1-mediated DNA relaxation and specifically inhibits the DNA religation step of the enzyme’s catalytic cycle. Unlike other fatty acids, PA exhibited unique specificity, which we confirmed through comparisons with linoleic acid. Molecular dynamics simulations and binding assays further suggest that PA interacts with hTOP1-DNA complexes, enhancing the inhibitory effect in the presence of camptothecin (CPT). These findings identify PA as a hTOP1 inhibitor with potential therapeutic implications, offering a distinct mechanism of action that could complement existing cancer therapies.
Keywords: human DNA topoisomerase; Antarctic extracts; palmitic acid; molecular dynamic human DNA topoisomerase; Antarctic extracts; palmitic acid; molecular dynamic

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Ottaviani, A.; Pietrafesa, D.; Soren, B.C.; Dasari, J.B.; Olsen, S.S.H.; Messina, B.; Demofonti, F.; Chicarella, G.; Agama, K.; Pommier, Y.; et al. Unveiling the Mechanism of Action of Palmitic Acid, a Human Topoisomerase 1B Inhibitor from the Antarctic Sponge Artemisina plumosa. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052018

AMA Style

Ottaviani A, Pietrafesa D, Soren BC, Dasari JB, Olsen SSH, Messina B, Demofonti F, Chicarella G, Agama K, Pommier Y, et al. Unveiling the Mechanism of Action of Palmitic Acid, a Human Topoisomerase 1B Inhibitor from the Antarctic Sponge Artemisina plumosa. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(5):2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052018

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ottaviani, Alessio, Davide Pietrafesa, Bini Chhetri Soren, Jagadish Babu Dasari, Stine S. H. Olsen, Beatrice Messina, Francesco Demofonti, Giulia Chicarella, Keli Agama, Yves Pommier, and et al. 2025. "Unveiling the Mechanism of Action of Palmitic Acid, a Human Topoisomerase 1B Inhibitor from the Antarctic Sponge Artemisina plumosa" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 5: 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052018

APA Style

Ottaviani, A., Pietrafesa, D., Soren, B. C., Dasari, J. B., Olsen, S. S. H., Messina, B., Demofonti, F., Chicarella, G., Agama, K., Pommier, Y., Morozzo della Rocca, B., Iacovelli, F., Romeo, A., Falconi, M., Baker, B. J., & Fiorani, P. (2025). Unveiling the Mechanism of Action of Palmitic Acid, a Human Topoisomerase 1B Inhibitor from the Antarctic Sponge Artemisina plumosa. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(5), 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052018

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