Small Molecule CDK Inhibitors for the Therapeutic Management of Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 1535-1563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharat Goel ◽  
Nancy Tripathi ◽  
Nivedita Bhardwaj ◽  
Shreyans K. Jain

: Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are a group of multifunctional enzymes consisting of catalytic and regulatory subunits. The regulatory subunit, cyclin, remains dissociated under normal circumstances, and complexation of cyclin with the catalytic subunit of CDK leads to its activation for phosphorylation of protein substrates. The primary role of CDKs is in the regulation of the cell cycle. Retinoblastoma protein (Rb) is one of the widely investigated tumor suppressor protein substrates of CDK, which prevents cells from entering into cell-cycle under normal conditions. Phosphorylation of Rb by CDKs causes its inactivation and ultimately allows cells to enter a new cell cycle. Many cancers are associated with hyperactivation of CDKs as a result of mutation of the CDK genes or CDK inhibitor genes. Therefore, CDK modulators are of great interest to explore as novel therapeutic agents against cancer and led to the discovery of several CDK inhibitors to clinics. This review focuses on the current progress and development of anti-cancer CDK inhibitors from preclinical to clinical and synthetic to natural small molecules.

Author(s):  
Lumin Wei ◽  
Rongjing Zhang ◽  
Jinzhao Zhang ◽  
Juanjuan Li ◽  
Deping Kong ◽  
...  

AbstractProtein kinase A (PKA) plays an important role in regulating inflammation via its catalytic subunits. Recently, PKA regulatory subunits have been reported to directly modulate some signaling pathways and alleviate inflammation. However, the role of PKA regulatory subunits in colonic inflammation remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the role of the PKA regulatory subunit PRKAR2A in colitis. We observed that PRKAR2A deficiency protected mice from dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental colitis. Our experiments revealed that the intestinal epithelial cell-specific deletion of Prkar2a contributed to this protection. Mechanistically, the loss of PRKAR2A in Prkar2a−/− mice resulted in an increased IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) expression and altered gut microbiota. Inhibition of ISGs partially reversed the protective effects against DSS-induced colitis in Prkar2a−/− mice. Antibiotic treatment and cross-fostering experiments demonstrated that the protection against DSS-induced colitis in Prkar2a−/− mice was largely dependent on the gut microflora. Altogether, our work demonstrates a previously unidentified function of PRKAR2A in promoting DSS-induced colitis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pingping Chen ◽  
Yinqiu Xu ◽  
Xuanyi Li ◽  
Hequan Yao ◽  
Kejiang Lin

Aim: CDK4/6 have critical roles in the early stage of the cell cycle. CDK2 acts later in the cell cycle and has a considerably broader range of protein substrates, some of which are essential for normal cell proliferation. Therefore, increasing the selectivity of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors is critical. Methodology: In this study, we construct a versatile, specific CDK4 pharmacophore model that not only matches well with 8119 of the reported 9349 CDK4/6 inhibitors but also differentiates from the CDK2 pharmacophore. Results & Conclusion: we demonstrate the activity and selectivity determinants of CDK4/6 selective inhibitors based on the CDK4 pharmacophore model. Finally, we propose the future optimization strategy for CDK4/6 selective inhibitors, providing a theoretical basis for further research and development of CDK4/6 selective inhibitors.


2014 ◽  
Vol 204 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Zapata ◽  
Noah Dephoure ◽  
Tracy MacDonough ◽  
Yaxin Yu ◽  
Emily J. Parnell ◽  
...  

Cell size checkpoints ensure that passage through G1 and mitosis occurs only when sufficient growth has occurred. The mechanisms by which these checkpoints work are largely unknown. PP2A associated with the Rts1 regulatory subunit (PP2ARts1) is required for cell size control in budding yeast, but the relevant targets are unknown. In this paper, we used quantitative proteome-wide mass spectrometry to identify proteins controlled by PP2ARts1. This revealed that PP2ARts1 controls the two key checkpoint pathways thought to regulate the cell cycle in response to cell growth. To investigate the role of PP2ARts1 in these pathways, we focused on the Ace2 transcription factor, which is thought to delay cell cycle entry by repressing transcription of the G1 cyclin CLN3. Diverse experiments suggest that PP2ARts1 promotes cell cycle entry by inhibiting the repressor functions of Ace2. We hypothesize that control of Ace2 by PP2ARts1 plays a role in mechanisms that link G1 cyclin accumulation to cell growth.


2001 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexey Khodjakov ◽  
Conly L. Rieder

When centrosomes are destroyed during prophase by laser microsurgery, vertebrate somatic cells form bipolar acentrosomal mitotic spindles (Khodjakov, A., R.W. Cole, B.R. Oakley, and C.L. Rieder. 2000. Curr. Biol. 10:59–67), but the fate of these cells is unknown. Here, we show that, although these cells lack the radial arrays of astral microtubules normally associated with each spindle pole, they undergo a normal anaphase and usually produce two acentrosomal daughter cells. Relative to controls, however, these cells exhibit a significantly higher (30–50%) failure rate in cytokinesis. This failure correlates with the inability of the spindle to properly reposition itself as the cell changes shape. Also, we destroyed just one centrosome during metaphase and followed the fate of the resultant acentrosomal and centrosomal daughter cells. Within 72 h, 100% of the centrosome-containing cells had either entered DNA synthesis or divided. By contrast, during this period, none of the acentrosomal cells had entered S phase. These data reveal that the primary role of the centrosome in somatic cells is not to form the spindle but instead to ensure cytokinesis and subsequent cell cycle progression.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 5535-5547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadayuki Takeda ◽  
Keiko Ogino ◽  
Etsuko Matsui ◽  
Min Kwan Cho ◽  
Hiroyuki Kumagai ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDC7 encodes a serine/threonine kinase required for G1/S transition, and its related kinases are present in fission yeast as well as in higher eukaryotes, including humans. Kinase activity of Cdc7 protein depends on the regulatory subunit, Dbf4, which also interacts with replication origins. We have identified him1+ from two-hybrid screening with Hsk1, a fission yeast homologue of Cdc7 kinase, and showed that it encodes a regulatory subunit of Hsk1. Him1, identical to Dfp1, previously identified as an associated molecule of Hsk1, binds to Hsk1 and stimulates its kinase activity, which phosphorylates both catalytic and regulatory subunits as well as recombinant MCM2 protein in vitro. him1+ is essential for DNA replication in fission yeast cells, and its transcription is cell cycle regulated, increasing at middle M to late G1. The protein level is low at START in G1, increases at the G1/S boundary, and is maintained at a high level throughout S phase. Him1 protein is hyperphosphorylated at G1/S through S during the cell cycle as well as in response to early S-phase arrest induced by nucleotide deprivation. Deletion of one of the motifs conserved in regulatory subunits for Cdc7-related kinases as well as alanine substitution of three serine and threonine residues present in the same motif resulted in a defect in checkpoint regulation normally induced by hydroxyurea treatment. The alanine mutant also showed growth retardation after UV irradiation and the addition of methylmethane sulfonate. In keeping with this result, a database search indicates that him1+ is identical to rad35+ . Our results reveal a novel function of the Cdc7/Dbf4-related kinase complex in S-phase checkpoint control as well as in growth recovery from DNA damage in addition to its predicted essential function in S-phase initiation.


1999 ◽  
Vol 380 (9) ◽  
pp. 1117-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Götz ◽  
Wilfried Kues

AbstractProtein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) constitutes one of the major families of protein serine/threonine phosphatases found in all eukaryotic cells. PP2A holoenzymes are composed of a catalytic subunit complexed with a structural regulatory subunit of 65 kDa. These core subunits associate with regulatory subunits of various sizes to form different heterotrimers which have been purified and evaluated with regard to substrate specificity. In fully differentiated tissues PP2A expression levels are highest in the brain, however, relatively little is known about expression in the developing embryo.In order to determine the composition of PP2A catalytic subunits in the mouse, cDNAs were cloned and the genomic organization of PP2A Cα was determined.By a gene targeting approach in the mouse, we have previously shown that the absence of the major catalytic subunit of PP2A, Cα, resulted in embryonic lethality around embryonic day E6.5. No mesoderm was formed which implied that PP2A plays a crucial role in gastrulation.Here, we extended our studies and analyzed wildtype embryos for Cα expression at subsequent stages of development. After gastrulation is completed, we find high expression of Cα restricted to the neural folds, which suggests that PP2A plays an additional pivotal role in neurulation.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon Grafi ◽  
Brian Larkins

The focus of this research project is to investigate the role of endoreduplication in maize endosperm development and the extent to which this process contributes to high levels of starch and storage protein synthesis. Although endoreduplication has been widely observed in many cells and tissues, especially those with high levels of metabolic activity, the molecular mechanisms through which the cell cycle is altered to produce consecutive cycles of S-phase without an intervening M-phase are unknown. Our previous research has shown that changes in the expression of several cell cycle regulatory genes coincide with the onset of endoreduplication. During this process, there is a sharp reduction in the activity of the mitotic cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and activation of the S-phase CDK. It appears the M-phase CDK is stable, but its activity is blocked by a proteinaceous inhibitor. Coincidentally, the S-phase checkpoint protein, retinoblastoma (ZmRb), becomes phosphorylated, presumably releasing an E2F-type transcriptional regulator which promotes the expression of genes responsible for DNA synthesis. To investigate the role of these cell cycle proteins in endoreduplication, we have created transgenic maize plants that express various genes in an endosperm-specific manner using a storage protein (g-zein) promoter. During the first year of the grant, we constructed point mutations of the maize M-phase kinase, p34cdc2. One alteration replaced aspartic acid at position 146 with asparagine (p3630-CdcD146N), while another changed threonine 161 to alanine (p3630-CdcT161A). These mutations abolish the activity of the CDK. We hypothesized that expression of the mutant forms of p34cdc2 in endoreduplicating endosperm, compared to a control p34cdc2, would lead to extra cycles of DNA synthesis. We also fused the gene encoding the regulatory subunit of the M- phase kinase, cyclin B, under the g-zein promoter. Normally, cyclin B is expected to be destroyed prior to the onset of endoreduplication. By producing high levels of this protein in developing endosperm, we hypothesized that the M-phase would be extended, potentially reducing the number of cycles of endoreduplication. Finally, we genetically engineered the wheat dwarf virus RepA protein for endosperm-specific expression. RepA binds to the maize retinoblastoma protein and presumably releases E2F-like transcription factors that activate DNA synthesis. We anticipated that inactivation of ZmRb by RepA would lead to additional cycles of DNA synthesis.


Author(s):  
Haroon Khan ◽  
Fabiana Labanca ◽  
Hammad Ullah ◽  
Yaseen Hussain ◽  
Nikolay T. Tzvetkov ◽  
...  

AbstractOver the years, the attention towards the role of phytochemicals in dietary natural products in reducing the risk of developing cancer is rising. Cancer is the second primary cause of mortality worldwide. The current therapeutic options for cancer treatment are surgical excision, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Unfortunately, in case of metastases or chemoresistance, the treatment options become very limited. Despite the advances in medical and pharmaceutical sciences, the impact of available treatments on survival is not satisfactory. Recently, natural products are a great deal of interest as potential anti-cancer agents. Among them, phenolic compounds have gained a great deal of interest, thanks to their anti-cancer activity. The present review focuses on the suppression of cancer by targeting BRCA gene expression using dietary polyphenols, as well as the clinical aspects of polyphenolic agents in cancer therapy. They regulate specific key processes involved in cancer progression and modulate the expression of oncogenic proteins, like p27, p21, and p53, which may lead to apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, inhibition of cell proliferation, and, consequently, cancer suppression. Thus, one of the mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer activity of phenolics involves the regulation of tumor suppressor genes. Among them, the BRCA genes, with the two forms (BRCA-1 and BRCA-2), play a pivotal role in cancer protection and prevention. BRCA germline mutations are associated with an increased risk of developing several types of cancers, including ovarian, breast, and prostate cancers. BRCA genes also play a key role in the sensitivity and response of cancer cells to specific pharmacological treatments. As the importance of BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 in reducing cancer invasiveness, repairing DNA damages, oncosoppression, and cell cycle checkpoint, their regulation by natural molecules has been examined.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (648) ◽  
pp. eaba7823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isha Nasa ◽  
Lauren E. Cressey ◽  
Thomas Kruse ◽  
Emil P. T. Hertz ◽  
Jiang Gui ◽  
...  

The reciprocal regulation of phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPPs) by protein kinases is essential to cell cycle progression and control, particularly during mitosis for which the role of kinases has been extensively studied. PPPs perform much of the serine/threonine dephosphorylation in eukaryotic cells and achieve substrate selectivity and specificity through the interaction of distinct regulatory subunits with conserved catalytic subunits in holoenzyme complexes. Using a mass spectrometry–based chemical proteomics approach to enrich, identify, and quantify endogenous PPP holoenzyme complexes combined with kinase profiling, we investigated the phosphorylation-dependent regulation of PPP holoenzymes in mitotic cells. We found that cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) phosphorylated a threonine residue on the catalytic subunit of the phosphatase PP2A, which disrupted its holoenzyme formation with the regulatory subunit B55. The consequent decrease in the dephosphorylation of PP2A-B55 substrates promoted mitotic entry. This direct phosphorylation by CDK1 was in addition to a previously reported indirect mechanism, thus adding a layer to the interaction between CDK1 and PP2A in regulating mitotic entry.


2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3477-3492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Gentry ◽  
Richard L. Hallberg

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulates a broad spectrum of cellular processes. This enzyme is a collection of varied heterotrimeric complexes, each composed of a catalytic (C) and regulatory (B) subunit bound together by a structural (A) subunit. To understand the cell cycle dynamics of this enzyme population, we carried out quantitative and qualitative analyses of the PP2A subunits of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found the following: the level of each subunit remained constant throughout the cell cycle; there is at least 10 times more of one of the regulatory subunits (Rts1p) than the other (Cdc55p); Tpd3p, the structural subunit, is limiting for both catalytic and regulatory subunit binding. Using green fluorescent protein-tagged forms of each subunit, we monitored the sites of significant accumulation of each protein throughout the cell cycle. The two regulatory subunits displayed distinctly different dynamic localization patterns that overlap with the A and C subunits at the bud tip, kinetochore, bud neck, and nucleus. Using strains null for single subunit genes, we confirmed the hypothesis that regulatory subunits determine sites of PP2A accumulation. Although Rts1p and Tpd3p required heterotrimer formation to achieve normal localization, Cdc55p achieved its normal localization in the absence of either an A or C subunit.


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