Secondary Metabolites of Soil Actinomycetes, UTMC 676 and UTMC 919, Induces Apoptosis in Human Non‑Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cell Line

Background & Aims: Bacterial metabolites are extremely rich resources for discovering new compounds with different biological
activities. Metabolites of actinomycetes have significant potential for the production of anticancer compounds. The purpose of this
research is to investigate the effects of two secondary metabolites of soil actinomycetes, UTMC 676 and UTMC 919, on apoptosis
induction and their related genes in the human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line, A549.
Materials & Methods: The crude extracts of UTMC 676 and UTMC 919 were prepared from the collection of biological compounds
of Tehran University. After cell treatment with UTMC 676 and UTMC 919, cell cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and mRNA expression were
measured using MTT, flow cytometry, and q-RT-PCR methods. Doxorubicin was utilized as a positive control.
Results: The MTT results showed induction of cytotoxicity by UTMC 676, UTMC 919, and doxorubicin in A549 cells in a
concentration-dependent manner. After 48 hours of treatment, both UTMC 676 and UTMC 919 induced apoptosis in the A549 cell
line. However, the apoptotic effect of UTMC 676 was more than doxorubicin. The q-RT-PCR data exhibited that the expression of
apoptosis-related genes was enhanced in the treated group compared to the untreated group.
Conclusion: These results suggest that the crude extract of UTMC 676 was able to induce apoptosis in A549 cells and could be a very
promising source having therapeutic potential against lung cancer cell lines.