Abstract
Notch Activation Complex Kinase, NACK, is a component of the Notch transcriptional machinery critical to Notch-mediated tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism by which NACK regulates the Notch-mediated transcription is not well understood. Here we demonstrate that NACK binds and hydrolyses ATP and that only ATP-bound NACK is able to bind to the Notch Ternary Complex (NTC). Considering this we sought to identify inhibitors of this ATP-Dependent function and, using computational pipelines, discovered the first small molecule inhibitor of NACK, Z271-0326, that directly blocks the activity of Notch-mediated transcription and shows potent antitumor activity in PDX mouse models. In conclusion, we have discovered the first inhibitor that holds promise for efficacious treatment of Notch-driven cancers by blocking the Notch downstream NTC activity.
A small-molecule inhibitor of isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase with antitumor activity in cancer cells
