title: Pim kinase inhibitor, SGI-1776, induces apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.
abstract: Pim kinases are involved in B-cell development and are overexpressed in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We hypothesized that Pim kinase inhibition would affect B-cell survival. Identified from a screen of imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine compounds, SGI-1776 inhibits Pim-1, Pim-2, and Pim-3. Treatment of CLL cells with SGI-1776 results in a concentration-dependent induction of apoptosis. To elucidate its mechanism of action, we evaluated the effect of SGI-1776 on Pim kinase function. Unlike in replicating cells, phosphorylation of traditional Pim-1 kinase targets, phospho-Bad (Ser112) and histone H3 (Ser10), and cell-cycle proteins were unaffected by SGI-1776, suggesting an alternative mechanism in CLL. Protein levels of total c-Myc as well as phospho-c-Myc(Ser62), a Pim-1 target site, were decreased after SGI-1776 treatment. Levels of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), XIAP, and proapoptotic Bak and Bax were unchanged; however, a significant reduction in Mcl-1 was observed that was not caused by caspase-mediated cleavage of Mcl-1 protein. The mechanism of decline in Mcl-1 was at the RNA level and was correlated with inhibition of global RNA synthesis. Consistent with a decline in new RNA synthesis, MCL-1 transcript levels were decreased after treatment with SGI-1776. These data suggest that SGI-1776 induces apoptosis in CLL and that the mechanism involves Mcl-1 reduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Redkar
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bearss
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Wierda
authors.forename: Varsha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gandhi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011724:Pyridazines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; C545188:SGI 1776; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1; C406031:proto-oncogene proteins pim