title: Characterization of WZ4003 and HTH-01-015 as selective inhibitors of the LKB1-tumour-suppressor-activated NUAK kinases.
abstract: The related NUAK1 and NUAK2 are members of the AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) family of protein kinases that are activated by the LKB1 (liver kinase B1) tumour suppressor kinase. Recent work suggests they play important roles in regulating key biological processes including Myc-driven tumorigenesis, senescence, cell adhesion and neuronal polarity. In the present paper we describe the first highly specific protein kinase inhibitors of NUAK kinases namely WZ4003 and HTH-01-015. WZ4003 inhibits both NUAK isoforms (IC50 for NUAK1 is 20 nM and for NUAK2 is 100 nM), whereas HTH-01-015 inhibits only NUAK1 (IC50 is 100 nM). These compounds display extreme selectivity and do not significantly inhibit the activity of 139 other kinases that were tested including ten AMPK family members. In all cell lines tested, WZ4003 and HTH-01-015 inhibit the phosphorylation of the only well-characterized substrate, MYPT1 (myosin phosphate-targeting subunit 1) that is phosphorylated by NUAK1 at Ser(445). We also identify a mutation (A195T) that does not affect basal NUAK1 activity, but renders it ~50-fold resistant to both WZ4003 and HTH-01-015. Consistent with NUAK1 mediating the phosphorylation of MYPT1 we find that in cells overexpressing drug-resistant NUAK1[A195T], but not wild-type NUAK1, phosphorylation of MYPT1 at Ser(445) is no longer suppressed by WZ4003 or HTH-01-015. We also demonstrate that administration of WZ4003 and HTH-01-015 to MEFs (mouse embryonic fibroblasts) significantly inhibits migration in a wound-healing assay to a similar extent as NUAK1-knockout. WZ4003 and HTH-01-015 also inhibit proliferation of MEFs to the same extent as NUAK1 knockout and U2OS cells to the same extent as NUAK1 shRNA knockdown. We find that WZ4003 and HTH-01-015 impaired the invasive potential of U2OS cells in a 3D cell invasion assay to the same extent as NUAK1 knockdown. The results of the present study indicate that WZ4003 and HTH-01-015 will serve as useful chemical probes to delineate the biological roles of the NUAK kinases.
authors.affiliation: *MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, U.K.
authors.forename: Sourav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Sara J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Buhrlage
authors.forename: Hai-Tsang
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xianming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Traynor
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Prescott
authors.forename: Dario R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Alessi
authors.forename: Nathanael S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000091162:AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D000813:Anilides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001570:Benzodiazepinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000813:Anilides; D001570:Benzodiazepinones; C586756:HTH-01-015; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C586755:WZ4003; D011494:Protein Kinases; C470845:NUAK1 protein, human; C486061:NUAK2 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C109790:STK11 protein, human; D000091162:AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases