Effect of pisiferic acid and its derivatives on cytotoxicity macromolecular synthesis and DNA polymerase alpha of HeLa cells.

1. Seventy-seven derivatives of pisiferic acid (2), an antimicrobial diterpenoid, were tested for cytotoxicity against HeLa cells and 9 derivatives were found to show cytotoxicity at less than 2 micrograms/ml dose (IC50). 2. Hydrophobicity was revealed to be an important factor for cytotoxicity of the derivatives. 3. Compound 2 inhibited predominantly DNA synthesis in HeLa cells as compared with RNA and protein synthesis. 4. No direct interaction between 2 and nucleic acid bases was indicated by a u.v. spectral method. 5. Several of the pisiferic acid species showed inhibitory action on HeLa DNA polymerase alpha, and the inhibitory activity was about 1/20 of aphidicolin.