Identification of Two Non-Peptidergic Small Molecule Inhibitors of CBX2 Binding to K27 Trimethylated Oligonucleosomes.

The dysregulation of the PRC1/2 complex plays a key role in lineage plasticity in prostate cancer and may be required to maintain neuroendocrine phenotype. [1] CBX2, a key component of the canonical PRC1 complex, is an epigenetic reader, recognizing trimethylated lysine on histone 3 (H3K27me3) [2] and is overexpressed in metastatic neuroendocrine prostate cancer. [3,4] We implemented a screening strategy using nucleosome substrates to identify inhibitors of CBX2 binding to chromatin. Construct design and phosphorylation state of CBX2 were critical for successful implementation and execution of an HTS library screen. A rigorous screening funnel including counter and selectivity assays allowed us to quickly focus on true positive hit matter. Two distinct non-peptide-like chemotypes were identified and confirmed in orthogonal biochemical and biophysical assays demonstrating disruption of CBX2 binding to nucleosomes and direct binding to purified CBX2, respectively.

Crystal structure of the catalytic domain of human atypical protein kinase C-iota reveals interaction mode of phosphorylation site in turn motif.

Atypical protein kinases C (aPKCs) play critical roles in signaling pathways that control cell growth, differentiation and survival. Therefore, they constitute attractive targets for the development of novel therapeutics against cancer. The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of atypical PKCiota in complex with the bis(indolyl)maleimide inhibitor BIM1 has been determined at 3.0A resolution within the frame of the European Structural Proteomics Project SPINE. The overall structure exhibits the classical bilobal kinase fold and is in its fully activated form. Both phosphorylation sites (Thr403 in the activation loop, and Thr555 in the turn motif) are well defined in the structure and form intramolecular ionic contacts that make an important contribution in stabilizing the active conformation of the catalytic subunit. The phosphorylation site in the hydrophobic motif of atypical PKCs is replaced by the phosphorylation mimic glutamate and this is also clearly seen in the structure of PKCiota (residue 574). This structure determination for the first time provides the architecture of the turn motif phosphorylation site, which is characteristic for PKCs and PKB/AKT, and is completely different from that in PKA. The bound BIM1 inhibitor blocks the ATP-binding site and puts the kinase domain into an intermediate open conformation. The PKCiota-BIM1 complex is the first kinase domain crystal structure of any atypical PKC and constitutes the basis for rational drug design for selective PKCiota inhibitors.