AUTHOR=Zhong Wang-Jing , Ma Lingdi , Yang Fanfan , Cao Jialin , Tan Junyu , Li Bohong 

TITLE=Matrine, a potential c-Myc inhibitor, suppresses ribosome biogenesis and nucleotide metabolism in myeloid leukemia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1027441

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2022.1027441

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Previous studies have shown that matrine, a natural compound extracted from the herb <italic>Sophora flavescens</italic>, has a good anti-leukemia effect, but its key target and mechanism remains unclear. Here, we found that only c-Myc could respond rapidly to matrine treatment in three myeloid leukemia cell lines, and matrine inhibited both transcription and translation of c-Myc. Ribosome biogenesis and nucleotide metabolism, the key downstream of c-Myc, were significantly suppressed after matrine treatment. Therefore, our results confirmed that matrine is a special c-Myc inhibitor which suppresses ribosome biogenesis and nucleotide metabolism by inhibiting c-Myc in myeloid leukemia. This study provides scientific basis for the development of matrine derivatives to c-Myc-driven cancers.</p>