Discovery of Inhibitor of Wnt Production 2 (IWP-2) and Related Compounds As Selective ATP-Competitive Inhibitors of Casein Kinase 1 (CK1) δ/ε.

Inhibitors of Wnt production (IWPs) are known antagonists of the Wnt pathway, targeting the membrane-bound O-acyltransferase porcupine (Porcn) and thus preventing a crucial Wnt ligand palmitoylation. Since IWPs show structural similarities to benzimidazole-based CK1 inhibitors, we hypothesized that IWPs could also inhibit CK1 isoforms. Molecular modeling revealed a plausible binding mode of IWP-2 in the ATP binding pocket of CK1δ which was confirmed by X-ray analysis. In vitro kinase assays demonstrated IWPs to be ATP-competitive inhibitors of wtCK1δ. IWPs also strongly inhibited the gatekeeper mutant M82FCK1δ. When profiled in a panel of 320 kinases, IWP-2 specifically inhibited CK1δ. IWP-2 and IWP-4 also inhibited the viability of various cancer cell lines. By a medicinal chemistry approach, we developed improved IWP-derived CK1 inhibitors. Our results suggest that the effects of IWPs are not limited to Porcn, but also might influence CK1δ/ε-related pathways.

Molecular basis for the regulation of the circadian clock kinases CK1δ and CK1ε.

CK1δ and CK1ε are unique in the casein kinase 1 family and play critical roles in a number of physiological intracellular pathways. In particular, these kinases are involved in composing the mammalian circadian clock by phosphorylating core clock proteins. Considering that CK1δ/ε phosphorylate other key biological molecules, such as ß-catenin and p53, understanding how the kinase activity is regulated would be greatly significant, since they are potential targets to develop pharmacological agents against cancer, pain, and circadian disorders. In this review, we summarize current knowledge attributed to kinase regulation including expression regulation, post-translational regulation, and kinase activity modulation by small molecules. Finally, we discuss how the kinase activity is regulated from a structural point of view.

A PER2-derived mechanism-based bisubstrate analog for casein kinase 1ε.

Casein kinase 1ε (CK1ε) plays an important regulatory role in various cellular processes including circadian rhythms. Mutations in CK1ε or the recognition site on its substrate PER2 result in modulation of the circadian period length. In particular, the tau mutation (R178C) in the catalytic domain of CK1ε was identified as the molecular basis for a dose-dependent heritable shortened circadian period in hamsters. However, the biochemical basis for the physiological effects of the tau mutant remains unclear. It has been reported that the tau mutation has reduced in vitro activity against some substrates but increased in vitro activity against other substrates. To better understand the effects of the CK1ε tau mutation, an ATP-phosphopeptide conjugate was synthesized to yield a transition-state bisubstrate analog. Kinase activity assays determined that the tau mutant has 80% reduced activity and a fourfold decrease in sensitivity to the bisubstrate analog compared to wild type. This confirms that Arg178 is important in the recognition of the preferred phosphosubstrates of CK1ε.

TDP-43 Phosphorylation by casein kinase Iε promotes oligomerization and enhances toxicity in vivo.

Dominant mutations in transactive response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. TDP-43 inclusions occur in neurons, glia and muscle in this disease and in sporadic and inherited forms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Cytoplasmic localization, cleavage, aggregation and phosphorylation of TDP-43 at the Ser409/410 epitope have been associated with disease pathogenesis. TDP-43 aggregation is not a common feature of mouse models of TDP-43 proteinopathy, and TDP-43 is generally not thought to acquire an amyloid conformation or form fibrils. A number of putative TDP-43 kinases have been identified, but whether any of these functions to regulate TDP-43 phosphorylation or toxicity in vivo is not known. Here, we demonstrate that human TDP-43(Q331K) undergoes cytoplasmic localization and aggregates when misexpressed in Drosophila when compared with wild-type and M337V forms. Coexpression of Q331K with doubletime (DBT), the fly homolog of casein kinase Iε (CKIε), enhances toxicity. There is at best modest basal phosphorylation of misexpressed human TDP-43 in Drosophila, but coexpression with DBT increases Ser409/410 phosphorylation of all TDP-43 isoforms tested. Phosphorylation of TDP-43 in the fly is specific for DBT, as it is not observed using the validated tau kinases GSK-3ß, PAR-1/MARK2 or CDK5. Coexpression of DBT with TDP-43(Q331K) enhances the formation of high-molecular weight oligomeric species coincident with enhanced toxicity, and treatment of recombinant oligomeric TDP-43 with rat CKI strongly enhances its toxicity in mammalian cell culture. These data identify CKIε as a potent TDP-43 kinase in vivo and implicate oligomeric species as the toxic entities in TDP-43 proteinopathies.

2-Benzamido-N-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)thiazole-4-carboxamide derivatives as potent inhibitors of CK1δ/ε.

In this study we identified two heterocyclic compounds (5 and 6) as potent and specific inhibitors of CK1δ (IC(50) = 0.040 and 0.042 µM, respectively). Whereas compound 5 exhibited fivefold higher affinity towards CK1δ than to CK1ε (IC(50) CK1ε = 0.199 µM), compound 6 also inhibited CK1ε (IC(50) = 0.0326 µM) in the same range as CK1δ. Selected compound 5 was screened over 442 kinases identifying 5 as a highly potent and selective inhibitor of CK1δ. X-ray analysis of 5 bound to CK1δ demonstrated its binding mode. In addition, characterization of 5 and 6 in a cell biological approach revealed the ability of both compounds to inhibit proliferation of tumor cell lines in a dose and cell line specific manner. In summary, our optimizations lead to the development of new highly selective CK1δ and ε specific inhibitors with biological activity.

Casein kinase I epsilon somatic mutations found in breast cancer cause overgrowth in Drosophila.

We are using a candidate gene approach to identify genes contributing to cancer through somatic mutation. Somatic mutations were found in breast cancer samples in the human casein kinase I epsilon (CKIepsilon) gene, a homolog of the Drosophila gene dco in which certain point mutations lead to imaginal disc overgrowth. We therefore created fly genotypes in which the dco gene carried point mutations homologous to those discovered in CKIepsilon, and tested them in vivo. The results show that the most frequent mutation discovered in breast cancer, L39Q, causes a striking overgrowth phenotype in flies. Further experiments show that this mutation affects the newly recognized Fat/Warts signaling pathway, which controls organ size and shape in both flies and mammals. Another mutation, S101R, modifies the mutant phenotype so that the affected tissue disintegrates, mimicking more aggressive forms of breast cancer. Our results thus strongly support the conclusion that CKIepsilon mutations play important roles in breast carcinogenesis.

Breast cancer-specific mutations in CK1epsilon inhibit Wnt/beta-catenin and activate the Wnt/Rac1/JNK and NFAT pathways to decrease cell adhesion and promote cell migration.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women. One of the genes that were found mutated in breast cancer is casein kinase 1 epsilon (CK1epsilon). Because CK1epsilon is a crucial regulator of the Wnt signaling cascades, we determined how these CK1epsilon mutations interfere with the Wnt pathway and affect the behavior of epithelial breast cancer cell lines. METHODS: We performed in silico modeling of various mutations and analyzed the kinase activity of the CK1epsilon mutants both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we used reporter and small GTPase assays to identify how mutation of CK1epsilon affects different branches of the Wnt signaling pathway. Based on these results, we employed cell adhesion and cell migration assays in MCF7 cells to demonstrate a crucial role for CK1epsilon in these processes. RESULTS: In silico modeling and in vivo data showed that autophosphorylation at Thr 44, a site adjacent to the breast cancer point mutations in the N-terminal lobe of human CK1epsilon, is involved in positive regulation of the CK1epsilon activity. Our data further demonstrate that, in mammalian cells, mutated forms of CK1epsilon failed to affect the intracellular localization and phosphorylation of Dvl2; we were able to demonstrate that CK1epsilon mutants were unable to enhance Dvl-induced TCF/LEF-mediated transcription, that CK1epsilon mutants acted as loss-of-function in the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, and that CK1epsilon mutants activated the noncanonical Wnt/Rac-1 and NFAT pathways, similar to pharmacological inhibitors of CK1. In line with these findings, inhibition of CK1 promoted cell migration as well as decreased cell adhesion and E-cadherin expression in the breast cancer-derived cell line MCF7. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, these data suggest that the mutations of CK1epsilon found in breast cancer can suppress Wnt/beta-catenin as well as promote the Wnt/Rac-1/JNK and Wnt/NFAT pathways, thus contributing to breast cancer development via effects on cell adhesion and migration. In terms of molecular mechanism, our data indicate that the breast cancer point mutations in the N-terminal lobe of CK1epsilon, which are correlated with decreased phosphorylation activities of mutated forms of CK1epsilon both in vitro and in vivo, interfere with positive autophosphorylation at Thr 44.

Regulation of wingless signaling by the CKI family in Drosophila limb development.

The Wingless (Wg)/Wnt signaling pathway regulates a myriad of developmental processes and its malfunction leads to human disorders including cancer. Recent studies suggest that casein kinase I (CKI) family members play pivotal roles in the Wg/Wnt pathway. However, genetic evidence for the involvement of CKI family members in physiological Wg/Wnt signaling events is lacking. In addition, there are conflicting reports regarding whether a given CKI family member functions as a positive or negative regulator of the pathway. Here we examine the roles of seven CKI family members in Wg signaling during Drosophila limb development. We find that increased CKIepsilon stimulates whereas dominant-negative or a null CKIepsilon mutation inhibits Wg signaling. In contrast, inactivation of CKIalpha by RNA interference (RNAi) leads to ectopic Wg signaling. Interestingly, hypomorphic CKIepsilon mutations synergize with CKIalpha RNAi to induce ectopic Wg signaling, revealing a negative role for CKIepsilon. Conversely, CKIalpha RNAi enhances the loss-of-Wg phenotypes caused by CKIepsilon null mutation, suggesting a positive role for CKIalpha. While none of the other five CKI isoforms can substitute for CKIalpha in its inhibitory role in the Wg pathway, several CKI isoforms including CG12147 exhibit a positive role based on overexpression. Moreover, loss of Gilgamesh (Gish)/CKIgamma attenuates Wg signaling activity. Finally, we provide evidence that several CKI isoforms including CKIalpha and Gish/CKIgamma can phosphorylate the Wg coreceptor Arrow (Arr), which may account, at least in part, for their positive roles in the Wg pathway.