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Hawley SA, Russell FM, Ross FA, Hardie DG. BAY-3827 and SBI-0206965: Potent AMPK Inhibitors That Paradoxically Increase Thr172 Phosphorylation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:453. [PMID: 38203624 PMCID: PMC10778976 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is the central component of a signalling pathway that senses energy stress and triggers a metabolic switch away from anabolic processes and towards catabolic processes. There has been a prolonged focus in the pharmaceutical industry on the development of AMPK-activating drugs for the treatment of metabolic disorders such as Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, recent findings suggest that AMPK inhibitors might be efficacious for treating certain cancers, especially lung adenocarcinomas, in which the PRKAA1 gene (encoding the α1 catalytic subunit isoform of AMPK) is often amplified. Here, we study two potent AMPK inhibitors, BAY-3827 and SBI-0206965. Despite not being closely related structurally, the treatment of cells with either drug unexpectedly caused increases in AMPK phosphorylation at the activating site, Thr172, even though the phosphorylation of several downstream targets in different subcellular compartments was completely inhibited. Surprisingly, the two inhibitors appear to promote Thr172 phosphorylation by different mechanisms: BAY-3827 primarily protects against Thr172 dephosphorylation, while SBI-0206965 also promotes phosphorylation by LKB1 at low concentrations, while increasing cellular AMP:ATP ratios at higher concentrations. Due to its greater potency and fewer off-target effects, BAY-3827 is now the inhibitor of choice for cell studies, although its low bioavailability may limit its use in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - D. Grahame Hardie
- Division of Cell Signalling & Immunology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; (S.A.H.); (F.A.R.)
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Ahwazi D, Neopane K, Markby GR, Kopietz F, Ovens AJ, Dall M, Hassing AS, Gräsle P, Alshuweishi Y, Treebak JT, Salt IP, Göransson O, Zeqiraj E, Scott JW, Sakamoto K. Investigation of the specificity and mechanism of action of the ULK1/AMPK inhibitor SBI-0206965. Biochem J 2021; 478:2977-2997. [PMID: 34259310 PMCID: PMC8370752 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
SBI-0206965, originally identified as an inhibitor of the autophagy initiator kinase ULK1, has recently been reported as a more potent and selective AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor relative to the widely used, but promiscuous inhibitor Compound C/Dorsomorphin. Here, we studied the effects of SBI-0206965 on AMPK signalling and metabolic readouts in multiple cell types, including hepatocytes, skeletal muscle cells and adipocytes. We observed SBI-0206965 dose dependently attenuated AMPK activator (991)-stimulated ACC phosphorylation and inhibition of lipogenesis in hepatocytes. SBI-0206965 (≥25 μM) modestly inhibited AMPK signalling in C2C12 myotubes, but also inhibited insulin signalling, insulin-mediated/AMPK-independent glucose uptake, and AICA-riboside uptake. We performed an extended screen of SBI-0206965 against a panel of 140 human protein kinases in vitro, which showed SBI-0206965 inhibits several kinases, including members of AMPK-related kinases (NUAK1, MARK3/4), equally or more potently than AMPK or ULK1. This screen, together with molecular modelling, revealed that most SBI-0206965-sensitive kinases contain a large gatekeeper residue with a preference for methionine at this position. We observed that mutation of the gatekeeper methionine to a smaller side chain amino acid (threonine) rendered AMPK and ULK1 resistant to SBI-0206965 inhibition. These results demonstrate that although SBI-0206965 has utility for delineating AMPK or ULK1 signalling and cellular functions, the compound potently inhibits several other kinases and critical cellular functions such as glucose and nucleoside uptake. Our study demonstrates a role for the gatekeeper residue as a determinant of the inhibitor sensitivity and inhibitor-resistant mutant forms could be exploited as potential controls to probe specific cellular effects of SBI-0206965.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danial Ahwazi
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katyayanee Neopane
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Societé Produit de Nestlé S.A
- School of Life Sciences, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Greg R. Markby
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Franziska Kopietz
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ashley J. Ovens
- St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia
- Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Morten Dall
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna S. Hassing
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pamina Gräsle
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yazeed Alshuweishi
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Jonas T. Treebak
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ian P. Salt
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Olga Göransson
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elton Zeqiraj
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, U.K
| | - John W. Scott
- St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia
- Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kei Sakamoto
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Ji X, Zhang X, Li Z. ULK1 inhibitor induces spindle microtubule disorganization and inhibits phosphorylation of Ser10 of histone H3. FEBS Open Bio 2020; 10:2452-2463. [PMID: 33040463 PMCID: PMC7609780 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Certain tumors are dependent on autophagy for survival; thus, the use of unc‐51‐like autophagy activating kinase (ULK) 1 inhibitors to block autophagy has the potential for tumor treatment. However, ULK1 inhibitors affect processes other than autophagy. Herein, we report that the ULK1 inhibitors SBI‐0206965/MRT68921 not only inhibit phosphorylation of histone H3 (Ser10) and delay chromatin condensation but also induce spindle microtubule disorganization to form short and fragmented microtubule polymers. Although the delay in chromatin condensation also delayed mitotic entry, the disorganized microtubule polymers resulted in unsegregated chromosomes and polyploidy. Although the effect on mitotic entry was moderate, polyploidy formation was decreased in ULK1 knockout cells with or without ULK2 knockdown. In conclusion, it will be helpful to consider the roles of ULK1 inhibitors in mitotic dysregulation, as well as autophagy, when evaluating their antitumor efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmiao Ji
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.,Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhiyuan Li
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
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Knudsen JR, Madsen AB, Persson KW, Henríquez-Olguín C, Li Z, Jensen TE. The ULK1/2 and AMPK Inhibitor SBI-0206965 Blocks AICAR and Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Transport. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072344. [PMID: 32231045 PMCID: PMC7177789 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The small molecule kinase inhibitor SBI-0206965 was originally described as a specific inhibitor of ULK1/2. More recently, it was reported to effectively inhibit AMPK and several studies now report its use as an AMPK inhibitor. Currently, we investigated the specificity of SBI-0206965 in incubated mouse skeletal muscle, measuring the effect on analog 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR)-stimulated AMPK-dependent glucose transport and insulin-stimulated AMPK-independent glucose uptake. Pre-treatment with 10 µM SBI-0206965 for 50 min potently suppressed AICAR-stimulated glucose transport in both the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscle. This was despite only a modest lowering of AICAR-stimulated AMPK activation measured as ACC2 Ser212, while ULK1/2 Ser555 phosphorylation was prevented. Insulin-stimulated glucose transport was also potently inhibited by SBI-0206965 in soleus. No major changes were observed on insulin-stimulated cell signaling. No general effect of SBI-0206965 on intracellular membrane morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy. As insulin is known to neither activate AMPK nor require AMPK to stimulate glucose transport, and insulin inhibits ULK1/2 activity, these data strongly suggest that SBI-0206965 has a non-specific off-target inhibitory effect on muscle glucose transport. Thus, SBI-0206965 is not a specific inhibitor of the AMPK/ULK-signaling axis in skeletal muscle, and data generated with this inhibitor must be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas R. Knudsen
- Section of Molecular Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (J.R.K.); (A.B.M.); (K.W.P.); (C.H.-O.); (Z.L.)
- Laboratory of Microsystems 2, Institute of Microengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Agnete B. Madsen
- Section of Molecular Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (J.R.K.); (A.B.M.); (K.W.P.); (C.H.-O.); (Z.L.)
| | - Kaspar W. Persson
- Section of Molecular Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (J.R.K.); (A.B.M.); (K.W.P.); (C.H.-O.); (Z.L.)
| | - Carlos Henríquez-Olguín
- Section of Molecular Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (J.R.K.); (A.B.M.); (K.W.P.); (C.H.-O.); (Z.L.)
| | - Zhencheng Li
- Section of Molecular Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (J.R.K.); (A.B.M.); (K.W.P.); (C.H.-O.); (Z.L.)
| | - Thomas E. Jensen
- Section of Molecular Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; (J.R.K.); (A.B.M.); (K.W.P.); (C.H.-O.); (Z.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Wang B, Dong G, Zhang Q, Yan F, Li Z, Li C, Zhang H, Ma Q, Dai J, Si C, Xiong H. The inhibitor of autophagy SBI-0206965 aggravates atherosclerosis through decreasing myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Exp Ther Med 2019; 19:1370-1378. [PMID: 32010311 PMCID: PMC6966176 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2019.8317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis (AS) is currently the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with the development of new strategies to prevent the formation and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques being a paramount area of research. Amounting evidence suggests autophagy has an important role in the pathogenesis of AS and may be a potential therapeutic target. In this study, the effect of SBI-0206965(6965), a novel inhibitor of autophagy, was tested on the development of AS in apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE−/−) mice. Systemic application of 6965 was found to aggravate AS, with increased plaque size and decreased plaque stability in comparison with the control. Of note, it was observed that 6965 decreased the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Further investigation demonstrated MDSCs markedly alleviated AS in ApoE−/− mice; while 6965 reduced the viability and promoted apoptosis of MDSCs in vitro. This is the first study describing an association between autophagy and MDSCs in AS models, providing a novel mechanism to potentially target in the management of this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Institute of Forensic Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China.,Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Guanjun Dong
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Qingqiing Zhang
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Fenglian Yan
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Zhihua Li
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Chunxia Li
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Qun Ma
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Jun Dai
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Chuanping Si
- Institute of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, P.R. China
| | - Huabao Xiong
- Department of Medicine, Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Lu J, Zhu L, Zheng LP, Cui Q, Zhu HH, Zhao H, Shen ZJ, Dong HY, Chen SS, Wu WZ, Tan JM. Overexpression of ULK1 Represents a Potential Diagnostic Marker for Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma and the Antitumor Effects of SBI-0206965. EBioMedicine 2018; 34:85-93. [PMID: 30078736 PMCID: PMC6116477 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Uncoordinated 51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) plays a vital role in autophagy. ULK1 dysregulation has recently been found in several human cancers. Methods mRNA expression levels of ULK1 and clinical information were analysed from The Cancer Genome Atlas data. ULK1 expression levels were verified in 36 paired fresh ccRCC tissue specimens by western blot analysis. Expression of ULK1 was knockdown by shRNA lentivirus. ULK1 activity was inhibited by SBI-0206965. The effect of inhibition of ULK1 was measured by detecting the apoptotic rate, autophagy, and the ratio of ROS and NADPH. The efficacy of SBI-0206965 in vivo was assessed by the murine xenograft model. Findings ULK1 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and overexpression of ULK1 correlated with poor outcomes. We found that ULK1 was highly expressed in 66.7% of ccRCC tumours (p < 0·05). Knockdown of ULK1 and selective inhibition of ULK1 by SBI-0206965 induced cell apoptosis in ccRCC cells. We demonstrated that SBI-0206965 triggered apoptosis by preventing autophagy and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) flux. Furthermore, blocking the kinase activity of ULK1 with SBI-0206965 resulted in a level of anticancer effect in vivo. Interpretation Taken together, our results suggested that ULK1 was upregulated in ccRCC tumours and may be a potential therapeutic target. Therefore, SBI-0206965 should be further considered as an anti-ccRCC agent. Fund This work was supported in part by The National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81570748) and Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (No. 2018J01345, 2017XQ1194).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Lu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Transplant Biology, Fuzhou General Hospital or Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Ling Zhu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Transplant Biology, Fuzhou General Hospital or Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Luo-Ping Zheng
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Sanming First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Sanming, China
| | - Qiang Cui
- Nephrology and Urology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - He-Huan Zhu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Transplant Biology, Fuzhou General Hospital or Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hu Zhao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Transplant Biology, Fuzhou General Hospital or Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhou-Ji Shen
- Nephrology Department, Ningbo Medical Centre Lihuili Eastern Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Hui-Yue Dong
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Transplant Biology, Fuzhou General Hospital or Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shu-Shang Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Transplant Biology, Fuzhou General Hospital or Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wei-Zhen Wu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Transplant Biology, Fuzhou General Hospital or Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Jian-Ming Tan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Transplant Biology, Fuzhou General Hospital or Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China.
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