Discovery of holoenzyme-disrupting chemicals as substrate-selective CK2 inhibitors

Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 4;9(1):15893. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-52141-5.

Abstract

CK2 is a constitutively active protein kinase overexpressed in numerous malignancies. Interaction between CK2α and CK2β subunits is essential for substrate selectivity. The CK2α/CK2β interface has been previously targeted by peptides to achieve functional effects; however, no small molecules modulators were identified due to pocket flexibility and open shape. Here we generated numerous plausible conformations of the interface using the fumigation modeling protocol, and virtually screened a compound library to discover compound 1 that suppressed CK2α/CK2β interaction in vitro and inhibited CK2 in a substrate-selective manner. Orthogonal SPR, crystallography, and NMR experiments demonstrated that 4 and 6, improved analogs of 1, bind to CK2α as predicted. Both inhibitors alter CK2 activity in cells through inhibition of CK2 holoenzyme formation. Treatment with 6 suppressed MDA-MB231 triple negative breast cancer cell growth and induced apoptosis. Altogether, our findings exemplify an innovative computational-experimental approach and identify novel non-peptidic inhibitors of CK2 subunit interface disclosing substrate-selective functional effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Binding Sites
  • Casein Kinase II / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Casein Kinase II / metabolism
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Holoenzymes / chemistry
  • Holoenzymes / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Protein Subunits / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance

Substances

  • Holoenzymes
  • Peptides
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein Subunits
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • Casein Kinase II